


Beauty Is In The Eye

by HighkeyCrazy



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms, Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure & Romance, Angst, Awkward Tension, Crossover, EagleRaider, F/F, Female Protagonist, Idiots in Love, Lesbians, Strangers to Lovers, Visions in dreams, bits of violence, mention of the past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:41:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 72,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22844995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighkeyCrazy/pseuds/HighkeyCrazy
Summary: When the infamous archeologist,Lara Croft,accidentally triggers the Mayan apocalypse,she comes face to face with a 2,500 year old mercenary tasked with the protection of the world,Kassandra of Sparta.What happens when the survivor archeologist teams up with the keeper of the balance?An unforgettable epic journey.
Relationships: Daphnae/Kassandra (Assassin's Creed), Kassandra/Kyra (Assassin's Creed), Lara Croft/Kassandra (Assassin's Creed)
Comments: 83
Kudos: 231





	1. The Hunt Begins

**Author's Note:**

> I got inspired to write this fic after reading Eye Of The Beholder by HazelL,check it out it's amazing.And since I absolutely love Kassandra and Lara,what could be better than writing a story with the two of 'em in it?
> 
> I know SOTR isn't exactly known for its great narrative but hey,the lore and the story itself was pretty damn interesting.It just wasn't executed properly.So yeah,this story is gonna take place during and after SOTR.

_Trinity._

The word that kept blaring in Lara's ears when she was awake.

In her dreams when she was asleep.

In her mind when she was looking for clues for the next trinity commander to hunt.

In her heart when she..

 _Wait_..

Maybe…she didn't have a heart left anymore.

Or at least that's what she used to think now.Her friend Sam had left her because of it,even after all she went through for the sake of her best friend.The friend who meant everything to her,the one she became a monster for.Killing all those Solarii without a second thought,killing every single madman who had dared to touch Sam.She couldn't bear the thought of having to live without her.The thought that molded her into a killing machine,made her into someone she was not.She still hated Mathias with a burning passion,even if he was dead now.She still dreamt about that,still heard Sam's agonizing screams,she still remembered.She remembered it all too vividly.And she wasn't going to forget anytime soon.Her mind had a twisted way of reminding her who she really was.She was nothing but a psychopath with a bow,who let her arrows loose at everything with a pulse.  
The only one who made her feel otherwise was her best friend Sam.She loved Sam the way she would have loved her sister had she not been the only child of Richard and Amelia.She cared far too deeply to let her go,when they were back home after Yamatai had Sam not…

_"What do you mean I make you feel…uncomfortable?" Lara felt her heartbeat become irregular,she couldn't wrap her head around why Sam had said that to her,it didn't make any sense._

_"I..look Lara,I know we are best friends and always will be,but after seeing what-"_

_"N-No please wait,what do you mean by that?I-I risked my life for you Sam,please don't-"_

_"Lara,It's..not that.I care for you….I really do.It's just that you need to get yourself together…especially after what happened back there.." She took a deep sigh,then forced herself to hold Lara's gaze "Whenever I look in your eyes,I don't see that shy girl who struck up a conversation with me her first day of uni...the girl who obsessed over history..I know I sound ungrateful but trust me,I'll always be in your debt for saving my life,but you have to get a grip please,you neither look nor sound like yourself anymore..Don't act like you don't have a heart"._

_Don't become heartless._

_Sam cared for Lara,but it was unsettling to see her become something she wasn't.Their trip back from Dragons triangle proved just as much.Lara didn't talk to any of them,except for the rare times when she decided to join them for breakfast.She seemed distant,and started having nighmares on top of it.Sam had tried talking to her,to no avail.Lara refused to let anyone in.The aura emanating from her made Sam feel uncomfortable,uneasy,unwelcome._  
_She understood what Lara was going through though,they both had lost so many people.Alex,Grim….Roth._

_Roth,who wasn't just a mentor,but a father figure of sorts to Lara.He had been there for her all the time,taught her everything he knew.If it weren't for him,Lara wouldn't have left Yamatai alive.Sam knew this all too well.She wanted to be there for Lara,to be the shoulder she could cry on if she wanted to.But Lara didn't let her in,it was as if she had become numb._

_Indifferent._

_It….hurt Sam,a bit.They were best friends,for goodness' sake.Why the hell was Lara pretending to be okay when she could come to her and talk about it?They both were supposed to be there for one another,that's what friends are for._  
_With all of her efforts gone to waste,Sam decided to leave Lara alone.For sometime.To let her resolve her problems on her own._

_"Sam I promise I'll get better,just p-please don't go please…" Lara knew it would crush her if Sam decided to leave her. "Stay,please,I never meant to-"_

_"I know Lara,but I..I really think you should go through with this alone.It'll give you time to reflect on yourself" she reached out,massaging Lara's shoulder "And it's not like I'm leaving you forever,I'm just giving you some time alone.It'll help you.I think."_

_"Sam…"_

_Sam quickly shot back with a tiny smile, "I'm still with you sweetie,give me a call sometime okay?"_

_Lara forced a smile as well,it didn't quite reach her eyes since her heart wasn't too keen on being left alone by the person she called her sister and her best friend._

_"You'll still be around right?I can't do this without you Sam."_

_"Ofcourse,I ain't an asshole.Well,most of the time." She chuckled,and took Lara in a surprise hug.A hug that spoke volumes about what they both meant to eachother.A simple gesture that left both their eyes brimming with unshed tears,reminding them that they both were going to get through this without breaking their friendship,without letting go of one another.They would remain friends despite all._

_Right?_

Fast forward a few months,and Lara had begun regaining her essence bit by bit soon after she had started her therapy sessions.They didn't do much,but something was better than nothing at all.They _did_ help to some extent.Jonah had been a tremendous help in this regard,always making sure she had someone she could rely on.He was the only friend she had other than Sam,the only one other than her she confided in at the rare times she let her guard down.They both had found their footing,Jonah never pushing Lara and always respecting her boundries since she was a private person,guarding herself and her heart.An introvert,if you will.

But there was always one question that kept popping in her mind.Kept nagging her.

_Am I really me?_

She tried not to think about it,often busying herself with tracking trinity since coming back home from a whirlwind of an adventure that led to the discovery of The lost city of Kitezh,an year after Yamatai.Ever since she had found out that Trinity had been on her father's tail and was responsible for his death,she had taken it upon herself to avenge him and stop them.  
Obsessed or not,she had loved him.  
He was her father after all.She wasn't going to let this slide,not after all she had been through.She was going to make them pay,even if she would be called heartless.Because doing so would also ensure Trinity never succeeded in their agenda.No more families destroyed in the name of a flawed ideology.

She wasn't going to allow this.

After months of tracking,she had found a lead.A trinity member,who went by the name of Dr.Pedro Dominguez.He was leading a few archeological digs in Mexico.

Time to act.

"Okay" she breathed in, "You can do this.Focus Croft,you got this" She was in the middle of packing her stuff when she heard a knock on her door,maybe it was Winston?

Wrong.

"Hey Lara"

"Sam?Oh my God Sam!" she gasped as she hugged her as hard as she possibly could.Seeing her friend after an year made her feel ecstatic,overjoyed that Sam hadn't given up on her despite the circumstances.That all was not lost.

"How have you been sweetie?" Sam said, pulling away from he,grinning from ear to ear.

"I've been well thanks,what about you?Come on let's-"

"No it's fine really" she glanced over Lara's shoulder to see her clothes all spread out on her bed "Jonah told me you guys were leaving soon for Mexico,so I decided to come and check whether you had learnt how to fold your clothes.Which you clearly haven't"

That got out a chuckle out of Lara,she had missed Sam's (lame) jokes.

"Well,why don't you teach me then?"

"You're a lost cause babe but sure,I still have hope for you" she teased her as she ruffled Lara's hair playfully.

You could tell by the laughter sneaking it's way out of Lara's room that day that their friendship was still as strong as ever.All that happened before didn't matter now.All that mattered was that Sam was still here.She always would be,no matter what.Exactly like she had promised.  
The next day was no different,except that bittersweet goodbye at the airport that left both of them emotional and teary eyed,like they had binged watched a soap opera with a sad ending.

Cringy but sweet.

Lara was adamant on wiping Trinity off the face of this planet,and once the young archeologist set her mind to something,not a force in this world held the power of stopping her,making her reconsider.

_She was a croft after all._

She knew Dominguez was after the _Silver box of Ix Chel,and the Key of Chak Chel._ Two goddesses belonging to _Mayan_ mythology;

  
Chak Chel being described as an old lady and representing death.Ix Chel as a young woman representing life and healing.The former being associated with the new moon,the latter with the full moon.  
Together as the twins,symbols of duality and the cycle of life and death.  
It was fascinating really,Lara would have loved this were she not concerned more about stopping Dominguez.She had a hunch that this man could prove to be difficult.She wasn't going to let him get hold of these artifacts.Everything else be damned.

She had to stop him before he found them.Or find the silver box and the key herself first.

She had to,she wasn't going to let Trinity win.She would stop them.

She absolutely would.

* * *

_Beautiful,majestic mountains with snow-covered tips,air thick with the scent of summer rain,howling gushes of wind that sent a pleasant chill down the spine.The perfect romantic getaway for people who dared to love._

The valley of Kashmir was a sight to behold _._

Kassandra had been to many places,almost all of them being breathtakingly beautiful.But none of them compared to Kashmir.A land often called Paradise on earth,but what she saw here was reminiscent of hell.Worse,even.  
Innocent people dying because of a pointless battle between two opposing nations.A battle that reminded her of the war between Sparta and Athens.Pointless.Cruel.A beautiful land that knew nothing but cruelty.

It's valleys were as pretty as the ones in Lakonia,a place she no longer dared to call home.

She hadn't been there in decades.Actually,she actively avoided going there.She couldn't stomach the thought of reliving those painful memories again,what getting stabbed in the heart and not dying felt like.  
It was where Myrinne had raised her,taught her how to hunt,how to fight.Where her final resting place was.

Part of her wanted to go though,but she never gave in.

It always reminded her that,

Nikolaos,her pater,had chosen Sparta over her.

That she had failed to save her mater.

Failed to protect Alexios.

That she hadn't been enough.

_"You can't protect anyone can you?"_

_She watched in horror as Deimos slid his blade into Myrinne,with nothing but madness in his eyes.With no remorse for killing the woman that had tried her damnest hard to bring him back and loved him despite all.The last crumbs of his sanity lost in darkness that was the cult._

_Kassandra had tried to convince him to abandon the cult,to stand with his family against them.They were the ones who had poisoned his mind,his heart,tortured him to the extent that he had become death personified leaving nothing but death in his wake.Even Hades would shudder in his presence._

_He wasn't coming back._

_He was never coming back….._

_The children of Myrinne,of House Agiad,would never be remembered.Kassandra had killed Alexios out of anger,sadness,pain.What else was she to do?When her own brother was the one responsible for the deaths of countless many,guilty of killing her friend Brasidas.Guilty of killing her mater.He was the one who took the people she loved away from her,even if he had been blinded by the cult._

_What else was she supposed to do?_

_She loved him,but he would have killed her too if she hadn't killed him first.He would have done so without so much as a second thought._

_Why did the Gods find joy in tormenting her?What did she ever do to them?Or to anyone else?_

"Keeper"

Aletheia's voice startled her.She had learned to not think about what happened two and a half millenia ago,to suppress her memories.She hated how helpless all this made her feel.Had buried her emotions away into the confines of her head,never to be visited again.

"What is it with you?Can't you leave me alone for a moment?" She had been admiring the view,and Aletheia decided to barge in uninvited.Wonderful.

"My apologies,but I've an urgent matter that needs to be discussed."

Hah.

Apologies.

"What is it now?Another templar?Or let me guess,an assassin?" Irritation palpable in her voice as she put her right hand on her chin,rubbing her scar there with her thumb on instinct.She often did this when she wasn't feeling particularly nice,or unable to concentrate.Or confused.Or all three of them.She was unreadable,literally.She'd often come here to help the locals as much as she could,had grown acquainted with many of them,and to take in the mesmerizing landscape.She was still human,still admired mother nature like anybody else would.

"It's bigger than that.Two Isu artifacts are in the danger of being discovered.They've caught the attention of the Templars,and the Assassins likewise.You must stop them."

"That won't be the first time they've wanted something that didn't belong to them." She scoffed,inherent losers the lot of them.Always fighting over lost artifacts like stray dogs over a bone,fighting for ideals that wouldn't do this world any good practically.

"You must find the Silver box of Ix Chel and the Key of Chak Chel.I suggest you get to work since you don't have much time,I'm afraid." The Isu was right,Kassandra didn't have much time considering the pace both the brotherhood and the order moved at when they were interested in finding something.

Neither of them was better than the other.Kassandra had become acutely aware of it in 1755 when she saw the lengths the Assassin brotherhood could go to.All just to retrieve a piece of eden,not caring about what else may happen.Hundreds of innocents died due to a massive earthquake that hit Lisbon that day.The day the assassin Shay Patrick Cormac himself realized one thing; Nothing is true,everything is permitted wasn't just a simple Assassin saying.It was a warning.Something he had realized after seeing chaos unfold before his own eyes,due to his own doing.Due to him following a pointless ideology,it becoming the reason he left the brotherhood.

She knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill people in search of the silver box and the key.They were hasty and she knew it.She had seen enough of them to know what their level of patience was.

"Alright,I've been free lately anyway."She tried to casually brush off Aletheia's statement.She had powered through all that life threw at her,this time wasn't going to be any different. Except,she had gotten tired now.

She was _tired.Exhausted._ Fighting a battle that wasn't hers to fight to begin with.

How long had it been going on now?Two thousand and five hundred years perhaps,when she had been tasked with keeping track of the templars and the assassins,two millenia and a half of unnecessary bloodshed.She had walked from one edge of the world to the other,had seen too many people die,too many wars,had seen entire civilizations rise and crumble.

_Had been alone all along,was always destined to be._

She knew now that they were looking for the Silver Box and the key of Chak Chel.She had to protect it,she had to protect the balance.It is what she had sworn to do the day she took the staff from Pythagoras,the man she didn't have any fond memories of.He was never there for his daughter yet still expected her to carry his burden.Because she didn't have a choice either way.

The balance was the only thing she had left to protect now.

"You have to find them both,Keeper.You must."

Her face was cast downward,eyes serious and somber,anguish consuming her body and soul.Because those foul chain of memories that had reawakened,refused to leave her mind.

"I will." She quietly said as she turned around from the edge of the mountain she had been standing on,ready to do as she was told.

She had no other choice.

All she had to do now was keep going,until the heir of memories would relieve her of her duties.

_Finally_.

In a strong,abrupt rush of wind,she vanished into thin air.There was no denying that the staff of _Hermes Trismegistus_ had it's perks.It could alter it's appearence into that of a caduceus pendant,becoming more convenient and easier to carry.Being able to teleport anywhere she wanted was her favorite though.  
She arrived at her hide-out,as she liked to call it.An innocuous little house in _Mykonos_.  
It reminded her of Barnabas and his fatherly affection,his unwavering faith in the Gods that almost made him sound naiive,childlike.His constant reassurance and gentle demeanor that made him all the more dear to her.

She cared for him.

Like the pater she never had.

Something she did not anticipate when she first met him.

"I miss you old man." she muttered to herself,holding a sword given to her by him on her 29th birthday.It was still razor sharp.She had taken great care of it,it being the only memento she had of him.

"I wish you were here" her free hand tracing the edges of the sword, "I really do.." her face fell as tears stood ready to crawl their way out of her eyes.

_Crying won't bring him back._

_It won't change anything._

_Stop._

_Concentrate._

_Stop._

She put down the sword instantly as if it had cut her.This was no time to get sentimental.The time for all this was gone now.Her own life at the mercy of the sands of time.She had to focus.

On her mission.

"Maybe we'll meet again."

She made her way to her bed,clearly exhausted and in need of a much deserved rest.

Laying in bed,closing her eyes only intensified her emotions further.

Mykonos held many things for her.Ranging from feelings of love to guilt and everything in between.  
It was where she had had an affair with the rebel leader,Kyra.

She didn't specifically love her,it was just a fling..or so she thought.A fling,that cost a certain Spartan polemarch named Thaletas,his life.Kyra was already in a relationship with him,she did care about him but not as much as she should have,considering he led his help and his men to her so she could rid the Silver Islands of the man who made life there a living hell;Podarkes,who also happened to be her father.

_The Gods really did enjoy toying with mortals._

But Kassandra had provided Kyra with her aid as well.She had helped her better than Thaletas could have in his nine lives.

He had found out,confronted Kassandra about it and engaged her in combat.Which proved fatal for him,of course.  
None could match the ferocity of the legendary eagle bearer.Kassandra could have spared him,it's just that she didn't want to.His pompous nature got under her skin.She never told Kyra about what happened between the two of them.She knew she wouldn't get a pleasant response since Kyra was hot-headed and Kassandra,well,had murdered him even though she was in the wrong,plain and simple.Might as well keep it a secret.

_Who was going to find out anyway?_

His heart might have been in the right place,but his attitude towards particular things and women specially,irked Kyra.It became the primary reason she decided to cheat on him.He always seemed so full of himself.Kassandra was practically sure after the rebellion,Thaletas would push Kyra to the sidelines,claim all the glory for himself.

_Hmph._

_Like Kyra would have let that happen._

Kassandra scoffed "I wonder how he managed to get your attention in the first place,Kyra" she still didn't like him, "Maybe you always had a thing for Spartans."

She turned to her side,wanting to sleep.Wanting the flashbacks to cease.

She needed to rest.She wouldn't be able to have lots of it,now that her hands were full.She needed to find them as soon as possible.

The Silver Box of Ix Chel and The Key of Chak Chel.

…

2 weeks of extensive research and sleepless nights finally came to fruition.She had found out the Keys location.

_Mexico,Cozumel._  
_At the hidden temple of Chak Chel._

On the other hand,she had also determined that taking it away would trigger natural disasters of unmatched magnitude triggering the cleansing,something she wouldn't allow to happen.If that was the case,she only had to find the temple and hide it,camouflage it.Simple and relatively easy.Hopefully do all that before the templars or the assassins found it

"That's it then.Time to find another Isu artifact" She said to herself,heaving a sigh "Why did they have to create so many of these?Malákes show-offs." She wasn't particularly fond of the Isu.With good reason too.They had brought nothing but destruction with them,even after eons of them being dead their Isu technology still brought about chaos.They had little regard for humans and thought of them as being inferior to them when they were still alive,saw them as nothing but objects to experiment on.

A grave mistake on their part.

A mistake that had erased their entire race from existence.

"Alright then."

Her caduceus pendant began pulsing with other worldly energy.

"Let's get on with it." She walked away from the edge of her table,ready to teleport.Ready to find the key.

In the blink of an eye,here she was.

In _Mexico_.

In a lush forest filtering the first rays of the morning sun,somehow reminding her of _Kephallonia_.

"I still wonder if leaving Kephallonia was a good idea" she sighed as she started trekking her way through the forest,looking for the closest village or town to stay in for the time it took her to find the temple.Being immortal didn't mean she was allowed to be reckless,her body still functioned like an average human body minus the aging part.  
As she was walking her way out of the forest,treading carefully since she had eyed a jaguar from afar earlier,she saw an eagle perched on a tree in front of her. She stopped for a moment,looking at him intently.

 _Ikaros_.

Even though he was only a bird,his presence felt reassuring to her.Even if he couldn't talk to her the way a human would,she was still thankful for what she had.An eagle to stay by her side through thick and thin.The one she could rely on.Her only friend.

This was no time to dwell on it now,he was long gone, "Not now." ,she took a deep breath, "I need to find the key,focus on the key". She often caught herself missing him,specially when she was on a mission.His aid proved invaluable to her,always giving her an edge over her enemies.Even if he was sent by Pythagoras to watch over her,she still held the eagle dear.

She arrived at a small town shortly thereafter,talked to a few of the locals there.None of them had a clue what she was talking about,except small bits,if you could call them that.The temple truly was well-hidden if no one knew anything about it.She had found an inn as well,good enough to pass as one.Finding the temple wasn't going to be easy,but with Aletheia's assistance and her natural talent at things like this,she would find it sooner than anybody else.

She had to.

* * *

They had been here in Cozumel for only 6 weeks,but the rate at which Lara and Jonah were moving was incredible,given the odds weren't exactly in their favor.They had found out the whereabouts of Dr.Dominguez.He could be the local Trinity cell leader,it was a possibility since he was all over the place.

On a rather busy night,they were observing an on going festivity from the top of a hotel,both of them suspecting Dominguez to be here.Lara explaining a few pictures with Mayan riddles that spoke of the hidden city of _Paititi,_ the place she thought held the Silver box,to Jonah.Pictures she took in a collapsing Mayan crypt.

Talk about dedication.

_"If you hadn't pulled me out of there,I'd still be in there taking pictures"_

_"You'd still be in there,don't know if you'd be doing much"_

It was fun to have him around.He was smart and funny.

"Come on Lara,I'm sure he's here somewhere.We'd best be on our guard.He probably knows we're here too."

"Right.Let's go".

They split up to look for him.She was still searching for Dominguez when she bumped into a stranger.

A _considerably_ tall stranger.

Both had been wearing their respective masks,that unfortunately came off.

"I'm terribly sorry sir!" Lara instantly crouched to pick up her mask and the poor mans that had the misfortune of running into her.

"Here,I'm-" She looked up at him and-

It wasn't a man.

It was a _woman_.

Woman with luscious brown hair,and dreamy hazel eyes.Her hair braided on her left side.

Quite _pretty_ to be honest.She didn't look Mexican though.A tourist maybe?

"I-I'm sorry I thought you-"

"It's alright.No harm done." Kassandra said as she flashed her a smile.

Lara nodded, "I uh,suppose you're a tourist?"she asked the tall stranger,trying to make the situation less awkward.

"Yeah," identical thoughts were circulating in Kassandra's mind,whoever this girl was,she was certainly easy on the eyes. _More_ _than_ _easy_. "Same as you."

"How-how did you know?"

"Your accent." Kassandra spoke as she smiled knowingly.

Lara didn't usually strike up conversations with strangers,but it came naturally to her at the moment.Maybe because she thought it fit to at least be polite to the person she accidentally crashed into.

Sam would have been proud of her.

"I see.Enjoy your stay"

"Likewise".

Kassandra couldn't help but think her familiar long after the young woman had left.As if she knew her.Like a password she couldn't crack.

_Where have I seen her?_

_I'm sure I have._

_Why else would she feel so familiar?_

She kept thinking about it for the next few hours whilst trying to find the temple,ultimately deciding to shove the thought back into her head.She knew the templars were here too,Aletheia had told her about it.She had to be quick.She needed to be quick.

She didn't have the time to think about random girls feeling _familiar_.

She was still trying to find the temple,still planning on how to hide it if templars did actually find it by some miracle,when Aletheia spoke suddenly.

"Keeper,you need to get out of here.Right now."

"What do you mean?" her eyes narrowed,confused at the Isu's request.

"The key,it's been taken. "

The ground beneath her started trembling just as Aletheia said that,she could feel the tremors under her feet,almost fell to the ground.That's how strong the vibrations were.She was utterly confused,Aletheia coming in at the exact same time as the earthquake…

This wasn't a good omen.

"What happened?!"

"Exactly what I just told you,the key has been taken."

"Maláka!Damn those templar bastards all the way to oblivion!I'll be sure to-"

_There it was._

Shouts of panic coming from behind her,she turned around to see what the commotion was all about.

Her eyes widened.

Her mouth agape.

A tsunami was heading her way.Ravaging everything in its path.

"Shit!"

She began running as fast as her body allowed,it didn't matter if her lungs were burning,or if her legs had started to give out.She couldn't stop.Not until she had found a safe place to teleport to,something with enough weight and height to withstand the tsunami's currents

 _Run_.

_Run for your life._

She eyed a building from afar,it looked strong enough to survive the tsunami.She ran as fast as she could,her caduceus pendant began surging with energy just as she jumped into the air,teleporting her to that same building in a flash of blinding light.She had been swift enough to not get swept in the current,had reached the building just in time.Watching from above only made her realize how close she had been to drowning,as she lay down,trying to get her breathing in check.Her mind telling her,

All of this was her fault.

She was late.Again.

_As always._

Guilt swept all over her,her eyes clamped shut,her hands balled into tight fists.Rage seeping into her soul.

"Keeper I need you to listen,yo-"

"I've heard enough" she paused for a second,anger palpable in her words, "tell me where-"

"It's not who you think it is."

"Wait." She opened her eyes.Her brows creased.

"Who is it then?" she inquired,forgetting her guilt and anger for a moment.

"The girl you met a few hours ago.She took the key,she is an archeologist from what I've gathered."

_What??_

Kassandra got lost in her thoughts.That 'girl'.The girl who had seemed familiar a while ago.

_What in the name of actual fuck?_

_Was she working for the Templars?_

_Or the Assassins?_

There was no way in hell any ordinary archeologist would have been able to discover the temple of Chak Chel.Even Howard Carter wouldn't have been able to find it.Not even in a million years.

"I'll teach that maláka a lesson!" She growled,like a tigress getting ready to pounce on her prey.

Kassandra was _furious_.Being alive for thousands of years had made her pricklier than she used to be,tired of pointless bullshit.She hated people who interfered in her business.Be it a contract or a grave life-or-death mission.She absolutely hated it.

And to think the girl had seemed fairly average….

She needed to find out who this young woman really was,who she was working for before it was too late.

Only the Gods could protect Lara now.She was in for a rude awakening.

_A proper,horrific,terrifying awakening._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing something,I promise to get better.I'll try my best to at least write something worth reading.
> 
> Howard Carter was an archeologist credited with the discovery of the tomb of king Tutankhamen,a Pharoah. :)
> 
> I'm not gonna drop Sam.Period.Now I know about the tomb raider comics but since I haven't read them,I'm ignoring anything that happens in them between Lara and Sam.Sorry about that.All I know is the developers dropped Sam which I'm still not over.
> 
> I'll try updating twice of thrice a month since I have some free time on my hands.Twice at the very least.The chapters won't be very long OR very short,I'll try averaging them between 4-6k words.


	2. Familiar Strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bursting with inspiration and energy,which is why I'm updating sooner than I thought I would :D Also because I'm mostly free due to vacations and well...you catch my drift.I just thought it'd be best to post it rather than wait needlessly for a week.Gotta update at a steady speed to hold the readers interest.
> 
> Thanks so much for the kudos,bookmarks and comments,I won't let EagleRaider down since it's my OTP now.

There were many things that came to mind when one heard the name "Lara Croft". The infamous British archeologist, who apparently, had a hard time keeping her hands to herself. The archeologist who liked to break things wherever she went. The daughter of the equally, if not more, infamous Richard Croft.

Was she level-headed?

 _Yes_.

Determined?

 _Very_.

Intelligent?

 _Certainly_.

Impulsive?

_Not really,no._

Well, that _might_ have been the case before,but certainly not now.The young archeologist had inadvertently done the exact opposite of what she had set out to do. Triggering a Mayan apocalypse, the death of the sun specifically wouldn't sit well on her resume.

All because she had taken away the Dagger, the key of Chak Chel. She had done so under the illusion of keeping it safe, away from the prying hands of Trinity. A mistake she had realized as soon as she stepped away from the pedestal, dagger in hand, heart heavy with a burden she couldn't quite identify yet.

A burden that made sense when she met face to face with the man she had been hunting, _Dr.Pedro Dominguez_ , the leader of the High Council Of Trinity.He had tried, and failed obviously, to recruit Lara into his cult, realizing her potential and how beneficial she could prove to him given her extraordinary abilities. Blabbering about how they could change the world together. Misery, poverty, sin…all of it would be gone. As if it didn't exist at all.

It still wasn't enough to convince Lara.

His esteem for her quickly plummeted like a rock thrown into the bottom of an ocean once he realized Lara had walked into that temple like an amateur, not realizing that taking the key would trigger the Mayan apocalypse. He wasn't too happy with Lara's antics, "Do you realize the tragedy you have unleashed?"

The look on Lara's face said it all, she didn't believe him, why would she? He was the enemy, after all. Why would she believe him? Even though she knew, she knew all too well.

Maybe he was right, maybe she had been reckless and now the whole world was going to pay for it.

"You would have done the same!" She shot back, her mind not allowing her to accept that she was responsible for this.

"The cleansing has begun. It falls to me now, to stop it before it consumes us all."

She watched him leave in his helicopter, still in disbelief over what had just happened, when she saw a tsunami on its way to her. The one warned about on the mural inside the temple of Chak Chel should someone decide to steal the dagger. This, with many other catastrophes to come.

She barely made it out of there alive, running from plank to plank, jumping from building to building all thanks to her athletic reflexes and the climbing axe she kept with her anywhere she went. Barely making it out alive.

Having a fight with Jonah at a time like this wasn't doing her any favors either. She had become too obsessed with stopping trinity and the Maya artifacts that she had forgotten about what had just happened. An entire town got destroyed, its people in need of aid.

And here she was, only thinking about herself. About what she wanted to do.

"No-No one is safe! Not if he gets the box first! I have to go, I'm the only one-"

"You're the only one that can what?!" Jonah lost it, "You don't know that you caused all this, Lara. Not everything is about you." He gave her a piece of his mind. Tried instilling some sense into her, because her desperation to stop trinity didn't come out of her desire to protect the people, it was due to her personal motives. Motives she had convinced herself weren't really there, but given what had just happened between them, it became clear.

Lara had become selfish and unreasonable.

She needed to stay here with Jonah, help the locals. Only then was she free to leave, to pursue Trinity and to find the silver box.

After deciding to stay here for a day or two, Jonah left Lara to help the locals with supplies, to help them in any way he could, leaving her alone with her thoughts. They had made camp for the night on a steep hill overlooking the town, since almost everything, every house had been demolished in the aftermath of the tsunami.

_What have I done?_

_Have I really gotten selfish?_

She would have had multiple thoughts of the same nature had she not heard footsteps behind her, ruffles coming from a nearby bush.

"Jonah?" She got up, her hand on the tip of her climbing axe just in case, stepping closer to the bush by each passing second.

She didn't see it coming.

Getting slammed against a rocky wall from behind with brute force, with her hands tied behind her back didn't feel nice. She started wriggling, trying to free her hands so she could reach her climbing axe that lay on the ground, but she got thrown far away before she could so much as blink. That _hurt_.

This person was strong,without a doubt.

"Who are you working for" the hooded figure spoke, "If you're smart and you want to live, you'll tell me" the knife he took out from his right boot was a clear indication this person was serious.

"What's it got to do with you" Lara replied as she hurriedly got up, her eyes trained on her bow that was behind that person near her campfire.She had to get it somehow if she wanted to come alive out of this.

"Oh but you're wrong. It has everything to do with me" the figure spoke as he lunged forward, knife in hand at Lara. She avoided the attack just in time, kneeing her attacker hard in the stomach making him drop his knife, followed by an uppercut, drawing out blood. She took advantage of him stepping back to clip his nose to roundhouse kick him, sending him crashing to the ground, his hood coming off.

Lara's suspicioun was right.

Her attacker wasn't a male.

"Who are you?!"

"Maláka! You won't get away with that!" Kassandra yelled as she got up in a swift motion, came running at her to try and spartan kick her, except..

She tripped half way through.

Oops.

Seeing as they had gotten into a scuffle near the edge of the hill, her tripping on top of Lara led to them falling off the hill, they both came tumbling down with Lara winning the struggle and landing on top of her. After having taken a closer look at her now that their faces were inches apart, Lara recognized her.

It was the same woman she had bumped into earlier, before that tsunami.

"Y-You? What are you doing here?" She asked Kassandra, pinning both her hands above her head, straddling the other womans legs with her hips, her eyebrows quirked up in confusion. Kassandra started squirming, clearly not amused with the turn of events.

Of all places,she had to trip _now_.

In the middle of a fight.

 _Great_.

Myrrine would have disowned her.

"I could ask you the same question."

"What makes you think I'd ans-"

There.

Much better.

In a flash,Kassandra was on top of Lara. Exactly the way Lara had been a mere second ago. Sporting a victorious grin didn't take away from the embarassment of tripping though. A grin that disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

"What do you want?!"

"The dagger, where is it?!"

"Your leader already took it from me! Go ask him!"

"Wait...my leader?"

What was this girl on about?

"Your leader, Dominguez" Lara started twisting and turning again in a futile attempt to free herself "I won't let you Trinity bastards get away with it!"

Trinity.

Kassandra knew exactly what that meant.

The cult.

Trinity being one of the many names they went by, they were the ones who had the dagger now, taken it away from her. That meant this girl was without a doubt an assassin, who else would be interested in getting hold of some random ancient Maya artifact?

_Time for some interrogation._

"First, I don't work for them," she tightened her grip on the archeologists hands rendering it impossible to escape her, "second, I'm pretty sure it's you who's working for-

"I work for no one!" She quickly clapped back, "If you weren't here with him, how else would you know about the dagger?!"

Okay.How was she supposed to answer that now?

"You've got it all wrong you little shit, listen to-"

"No you listen to me! I'm not working for anyone, I came here to stop Trinity but I-"

"Decided to nab that dagger like it was a tennis ball?!" Kassandra was getting angry now, her voice rising steadily with each word "Have you no mind?! The only way a tsunami that bad would come out of nowhere was if some brain-dead maláka stole it without a second thought!"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Lara wasn't going to be told she was reckless by a stranger, "What was I supposed to do?!"

"I don't know, maybe not touch it for starters?!"

They both were constantly yelling at each other, Lara trying to justify her actions, Kassandra clearly not having any of it. One of them had to sober up, make sense of whatever was happening between them. Both of them went quite, silence hanging in the air, gauging one another for a while.

"What do you want?" Lara asked her again, hoping to get a proper answer this time around.

"For no other shitstorms to come like the one I barely escaped from. Where is the dagger?" She loved talking like this when she was furious,every word making her sound like a slang connoisseur.

"I told you I don't have it! You need a better boss if you-"

"I'm not working for that bastard! Are you deaf or something?!"

Lara paused, her mind telling her to ponder over what the other woman had just said, she wasn't working for Dominguez or Trinity. "Why are you after me then?"

"I'm not after you! I was after trinity and the dagger you stole!" Kassandra stopped for a moment to look Lara in the eyes, her face lost some of its edge, the fire burning inside her hazel eyes subdueing for a moment, having figured out the young woman had accidentally triggered the apocalypse.  
Call it pure stupidity on her part,but Kassandra wasn't too convinced Lara was an assassin or a templar after having looked her in the eyes.She had met enough of them to know what they held in theirs.

Greed.

Selfish desire for something that wasn't meant for them.

Lara's held nothing but confusion over what was presently happening, mixed with a tinge of..

She couldn't put her finger on it yet. Guilt, perhaps?

She spoke again, her voice firm and dialed down a few decibels this time, to eradicate the threatening aura emanating from her to convince Lara she wasn't interested in killing her again.

"Look, I'm not your enemy. I'm hunting them,not you. "

"Why should I believe you?"

"You should if you want to stop trinity." She glanced up at her hands, then back at Lara, "I'll let go on the count of 3, try anything stupid and you'll regret it. Understand?". For someone who had tripped over themselves, she sounded strangely confident.

"1..

2..

…

3."

As she released Lara's hands from her grasp and stepped away, Kassandra had expected her to try something, to push her away or pull out a hidden blade, pistol maybe. But Lara was smarter than that, she did exactly as told, she got up slowly, dusting her clothes, her eyes focused on Kassandra for fear of her doing something rash. She didn't have anything on her, her bow, her axe all lay up on the hill near the camp. Engaging the other woman in hand to hand combat wouldn't be a bright idea since her opponent was considerably larger than her, she had just gotten lucky back there up on the hill by some miracle.

"Who are you?" Kassandra asked, her hands folded at her chest, standing away from her at a safe distance.

"Shouldn't you tell me first?You're the one who shoved me against a wall." She gestured with her finger, pointing it at the woman in front of her.

Her head hung low, frustrated she spoke, lifting her head up and growing more and more irritable by the moment "Fair enough. I'm hunting trinity, for reasons that shouldn't matter to you. Your turn now."

"I'm hunting them too."

"Why?"

"For reasons that shouldn't matter to you."

Who did she think she was?As if she hadn't caused enough trouble as it is.

_Smug brat._

She sighed , "I'm not your enemy, I already told you that. You were the one who had run away with the dagger so I only thought it fit to chase you."

"How did you know it was me?" Lara wasn't afraid of her, the girl wasn't afraid of anything except losing her loved ones.

"I don't need to tell you how, all you need to know is we have to get that dagger back or you can kiss this world goodbye." Irritated Kassandra always sounded like a true Spartan, no matter how much she didn't like being called one.

"It's too late for that now. He's gone. Our only hope is to get the silver box as soon as we can..." Her face fell, Lara hadn't felt more responsible for anything in her entire life. She managed to brush the thought aside, lifting her face up and letting hope fill her, meeting Kassandra's gaze "No matter what, I won't let him succeed."

Kassandra felt Lara's determination on another level as soon as the words left her mouth. It made her feel exactly what she had felt two thousand years ago when..

When she promised to bring Alexios back, when she promised Myrrine she won't let the cult succeed in their agenda again. When she promised her she won't let her down. One of the many promises she had made to her beloved mater, the one she had crossed oceans for and paid heaps of drachmae.  
She drifted away into her thoughts, thoughts that still broke her already broken heart.Still made her want to curse the Gods, to scream, to cry, to trash everything in sight. All because of something said by a total stranger, in a totally different context.  
She forced herself out of the dark abyss her mind had wandered into, shifting her stance, letting her hands fall to her side to appear less threatening.

"Maybe we could work together." She said as she looked at Lara, her expression carefully neutral. She had to sieze this oppurtunity to put a stop to the other womans impulsive doings. There was no guarantee something like this wouldn't happen again.

"You truly expect me to trust you after this?"

_Of course I do._

"Given our goal is the same, yes. I could use the help of some one capable." She gestured at the hill above before continuing, "Let's go. We need to talk."

She had decided to put the young archeologists skill to test. She had interfered in her work, made a horrendous mess out of it. She wasn't going to let her go that easily, she had to make sure she wouldn't mess things up again. What better way to make sure of it then to make the idiot work alongside her? She could recover the key and the box quickly this way.  
If the young lady proved to be a nuisance, then well, she would be taken care of. No one butted their head in her business and lived to tell about it. She used to be a fierce misthios who didn't take bullshit from anyone.

_The Eagle bearer._

Lara, on the other hand, didn't let her guard down, even if the other woman had all of a sudden abandoned her hostility, it had to be a trick. She was still contemplating who the 'goon' really was. She looked strong enough to be a mercenary, or hired muscle for trinity (if you exclude that one instance of tripping).

_Who is she?_

_What if she's really a trinity spy?_

She couldn't enter into conflict with her either, might as well do what she says. If she wanted to kill her, she would have by now, had the chance to do so but decided to let her go. Not a trait of your typical run-of-the-mill thug.

_What do I make of that?_

After having arrived at the campsite, Lara sat down near the fire away from Kassandra, still alert to her surroundings and checked herself for any scratches or cuts but she didn't have any except for a few measly ones. Nothing too serious. Kassandra was fine too, if you didn't count her still bloody nose, that is. Courtesy of the other womans uppercut.

"Kassandra"

"Pardon me?" Lara was absolutely dumbfounded at that statement.

"My name, is Kassandra."

"O-oh" Kassandra quirking her eyebrow prompted the other woman to continue "I'm Lara, Lara Croft."

" _That_ Lara Croft?" Her eyes widened at her sudden realization.

She had no idea the 'girl' she had decided to threaten was the same crazy psychopath that had murdered an entire island of madmen like pigs at slaughter. The one she had read about in the newspapers a few years ago. The crazy archeologist from England.

 _Shit_.

This wasn't the type of person you'd want to mess with, immortal or not.

"What do you mean?" Lara asked her, slightly offended.

"No offence, but you're notorious for putting your nose in where it doesn't belong." Kassandra knew where to poke her "Anyway, this isn't the reason I brought you here." She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, now ready to make her proposition.

"I am hunting an organization by the name of Trinity, they are a band of morons always ready to pounce at any thing vaguely resembling an ancient artifact to exploit it. I had found out a while back that their leader, Pedro Dominguez, had taken an interest in The silver box and the dagger" She chanced a look at the other woman, tearing her eyes away from the fire, "I was able to track the keys location" her left hand pointing to the now destroyed town, "but since you already had decided to play the hero, I was left no choice but to run for my life and find out who had taken it."

Of all the things at her disposal, sarcasm was her favorite.

"You knew taking it away would..?"

"Yes.I knew" her dissatisfaction visible as she took her head in her hands, running her fingers through her hair, letting it go only to scold the archeologist once more "One doesn't go about these ruins and relics without having done their homework, Lara. _Especially_ an archeologist."

Ouch.

That didn't feel good. Being given a lesson in archeology by a nobody.

Tsk Tsk.

"I told you I didn't do it on purpose" She got defensive, "Trinity would have done the same"

"….I suppose you're right." Kassandra sighed, she knew templars, Lara was right, they would have done the same. They weren't known for their high intellect anyway.

"If you decide you actually want to set things right and make amends for what you've done, come find me. I won't be here long." She stood up, gave Lara directions to her camp, and left.

Just like that.

In other circumstances, Lara would have absolutely destroyed Kassandra with her knowledge on just about everything remotely related to archeology but, she was still not over Kassandra assaulting her, for one. Second, she felt like a child put back in her place as she watched her leave, without even listening to what she had to say. Who did she think she was? Her mother?

It all happened so fast she didn't know what to do. Her mind was all over the place.

_Should I trust her?_

She might have tried to kill her, due to a misunderstanding, but still. How was she to trust a stranger she met minutes ago? It's practically suicide.

But something inside her was convinced otherwise.

_What's the harm?_

_Two are always better than one._

It's not like she was asking for her hand in marriage, it was going to be a simple business deal. Nothing more, nothing less. One that was in both their mutual interests.

They both were on the hunt for Trinity.

Lara, to avenge her father and to stop them from taking over the entire world (at least that's what she liked to think.)

But Kassandra, why was she interested in Trinity? If she wanted her help, she'd have to answer. One way or another.

A yawn sneaked it's way out of her mouth. Lara was tired. Anyone would be after a miserable day like this.

"Maybe I should wait for Jonah to-"

Another yawn. _Again_. She would fall asleep in a second if she were to close her eyes.

"Oh well, guess my body has other plans" she muttered to herself as she got up, and went inside her tent.

Tomorrow was going to be complicated. She would have to explain the mess around the camp to Jonah, her awkward but deadly struggle with Kassandra, and her plan to hear what she had to say about finding the silver box together.

It was going to be _okay_ , she would be more than prepared this time if Kassandra decided to try something otherwise. She could at least listen to what the other woman had to say.

_It's going to be okay._

She went to sleep beneath the valley of stars, shining bright in the night sky, carrying the world's sorrow away with soft, gentle gushes of the wind that sounded like sweet melodies sung by angels.

The same stars, the same sky Kassandra was standing beneath right now, hours after having a standoff with Lara in a bout of frustration. Her pain-racked heart holding hands with memories of an age long gone, now finding their way back to her.

" _No matter what,I won't let him succeed_."

An innocous sentence that refused to leave her mind. It was the small things that always hit home, always brought about bitter emotions.

What was it about that one sentence that stuck with her? Was it the way Lara spoke it with such determination, or how it was exactly reminiscent of who she used to be, filled with determination and hope before her world came crashing down? Leaving her with next to no family save for Barnabas and Herodotos, before she got chosen by the staff as the Keeper of the balance, the chosen one to carry the fate of the world on their shoulders.

Life had blessed her with nothing but grief, nothing but a broken heart, nothing but to live with nothing to live for.

_Keeper of nothing but pain._

_Keeper of nothing but sadness._

_Keeper of nothing but loneliness_.

She got thrown off of a mountain, all because she tried protecting her brother. The man she called pater with such admiration threw her off like she never meant anything to him.

" _Kassandra? Impossible, I saw you fall."_

_"I didn't fall, you fucking threw me to my death."_

_That old fool had no idea what she had to endure, all because he stood idle_ _and watched as the priests accused her for treason. For protecting her baby brother because her pater didn't have the strength to stand up for his family. Because he was a coward._

_Not a Spartan._

" _You have avoided the past long enough, now you will answer to me!" Rage was consuming her, what else would? She had waited her entire life for this, for this moment. Lived her entire life in solitude, without a family. Without love._

_She had the chance now, to finally take revenge for what he did to her._

_Every bone in her body wanted_ to kill _Nikolaos, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Not because she still loved him, but because she wasn't a monster. She wouldn't kill someone out of spite. She was better than this, better than Nikolaos. The man was at her mercy, having accepted his fate standing at the edge of the cliff, ready to die, ready to atone for his sins._

_She didn't kill him. That's not who she was._

_She threw him back to the ground, unable to do what she had always convinced herself she would if given the oppurtunity._

" _Though you deserve death, there is no honor in vengeance. You must face the ghosts of your past pater, and that is a fate worse than death!" She had said, heart bleeding all over again._

"Keeper, are you alright?"

Alethia's voice resonated in her head, it was the way she communicated with Kassandra almost everytime the Isu sensed her at unease.  
She would appear in front of Kassandra when more serious matters needed discussion, specially the ones related to her duty, preferring visual contact since humans responded better to instructions given visually on average(or so she thought).

"I'm fine" Kassandra forced the words out of her mouth, not trusting herself to talk.

"You seem disoriented after meeting that young woman. Are you sure?"

"I'm not. You don't have to worry about me."

_No one ever does._

"Thank you for listening to me, for not doing anything impulsive." The Isu replied after a short pause.

"The girl you mean? Hah, you're welcome."

There were many things Kassandra was, but she wasn't forgiving. Especially when someone butted their head in her business and made it worse or hurt someone close to her. Back when she was still the eagle bearer, everyone made sure to never get on her bad side if they didn't want to suffer the same fate as her foes.

Aletheia had stopped her from killing Lara, if she hadn't intervened Kassandra would have absolutely slaughtered the young woman. The staff of Hermes didn't just give her the ability to teleport, it also provided her with super human strength. Immense strength she would have demonstrated in front of the unsuspecting archeologist had Aletheia not convinced her otherwise.

" _I'll teach that maláka a lesson!"_

_"What are you doing, Keeper?! Get a hold of yourself!"_

_"Don't you realize what she's done?!"_ _Kassandra spoke, words muddled with fury._

_"I do, which is exactly why I'm asking you to stop. She's the one who triggered the cleansing, the apocalypse. Killing her could tip the balance you've been fighting for."_

_Aletheia was right. Kassandra didn't_ _know who the girl was, killing her without knowing who she was could tip the scale. No assassin or templar had been able to find the key, she was clearly a cut above the rest if she had figured out its location. Her death could alter the fate of millions, she had to stay alive untill Kassandra figured everything out, who she was working for and what her motives are._

_"But what if she-"_

_" Is an assassin? a templar? Neither of us is omniscient, keeper. Go find out and try not to do anything rash." Artificial or not, Aletheia knew how to knock sense into her head, their two thousand year old association_ _wasn't for nothing._

_"I'm still beating her up, I don't care what you say." Her anger now transformed into annoyance, this is what you got when you pissed off Kassandra of Sparta._

"You do realize her significance in all this, I take?"

"I do. I'll make sure to keep that idiot busy so she doesn't botch anything else." She said as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Of course. Just concentrate on finding the silver box as soon as you can."

"I will."

The day had been exhausting. It didn't matter if she was immortal, her body was starting to give out. With the question of who's Lara working with out of the way, her mind settled on it's next question in line to ruin her night with as she lay in her bedroll inside her tent, she hated herself for this sometimes.

_What is it about her that feels so familiar?_

_I haven't even known her for 24 hours._

_Why?_

What Lara said about stopping Dominguez echoed Kassandra's words when she took it upon herself to hunt the cult,to bring her brother back.To reunite her family again.

_Maybe I've gone insane._

She fell asleep in search of an answer, under the cover of the midnight moon. Sleeping her pain away, in her dreams where she could be with the ones she loved. People she'd have done anything for.

Myrrine,Phoibe,Alexios…

Daphnae.

* * *

"Jonah look, I'm more than prepared this time." Lara stubbornly said as she tried reasoning with her friend once again about meeting with Kassandra, "I need to find out why she's hunting trinity, if she even is at all." She had woken up the next day feeling unnaturally energetic, ready to meet Kassandra. But Jonah wasn't too keen on that.

"There's no point in stopping you then I guess, since you've made up your mind. Just don't get yourself killed." The man gave up as he admitted defeat, they had been arguing for over an hour now and she refused to listen to him.

Didn't want to.

They both hadn't really talked since their quarrel yesterday, arguing over a complete stranger wasn't doing them any favors either.

"I promise I'll be back soon, okay?" She put her hand on his shoulder, giving him a small smile.

He could only nod, he knew Lara was stubborn, more than she'd like to admit. But she was smart and resourceful too, she wouldn't die so easily. If that girl could survive Yamatai, she could survive anything, bulked up women included.

Her survival instincts were in over-drive as she made her way towards Kassandra's camp, armed and equipped with her bow, climbing axe and a pistol hidden in her back pocket just in case. She was expecting to get attacked as soon as she arrived at the camp.

It was quite.

_Too quite._

Only birds chirping coupled with the sound of the flowing river steadily.

"Hey" Kassandra said casually, piercing the silence with her simple greeting.

Lara turned around at the speed of light, her bow drawn. "Drop your weapons if you have any. Now."

"I don't..have any?" Kassandra spoke as she quirked her eyebrows up, genuinely confused over why the other woman had drawn her bow. She wasn't trying to beat her up this time. "I think I told you last night why I wanted to meet you "

"You didn't leave a good first impression."

"I apologize for that, I truly do." She said as she stepped closer to Lara, hands in air, palms facing outward. "I'd like you to put that back " she requested as she pointed at Lara's bow with her chin.

Kassandra wasn't afraid of Lara. She could get her in the blink of an eye if she wanted to, she could take on hundreds of insane archeologists like her. It's just that she had to play the 'nice-guy' card if she wanted to get on her good side to work with her, to earn her trust, to make sure Lara wouldn't stand in the way of her objective again while making use of the young womans skills to benefit her own cause.

To _use_ her. Simply put. Such was the requirement of her mission.

_Keeper of the balance._

"Alright" Lara still wasn't convinced even as she put back her bow , " But try anything and it won't end well for you ".

"Understood." Kassandra said as she bowed down her head, a gentle smile playing on her face.

_Damn._

She would have absolutely killed it back in the day, Aristophanes would have went nuts trying to cast her into one of his god awful plays. She had played Leonidas in Thespis' play but that didn't count, even if she had tried her hardest to act.

"Why don't you sit down,make yourself comfortable." She made herself sound deliberately soft enough to make Lara feel comfortable around her.

"No thanks, I'm fine." She spoke after a short while, having assessed Kassandra "I'll cut straight to the chase, if you want my help you'll have to answer a few questions " Kassandra quirking her eyebrows prompted her to continue, " Why are you hunting Trinity? "

That caught Kassandra off guard. Because the truth is, she didn't know herself either.

Why was she hunting Trinity?Because it was her job to do so, or because she wanted to make them pay for what they did to her centuries ago?

A simple question.With a not-so-simple answer.

"I, uh….." She stood there, eyes down staring at her feet, unable to decide what to do now. No one had ever asked her that.

"Either you answer, or I won't help you otherwise." Lara firmly said as she stood there, arms crossed in front of a 6-foot tall muscled up woman trying to look all sorts of threatening.

Having been caught off guard like that, it was as if Kassandra's mind had stopped working, had shut down with only her emergency functions of breathing and blinking intact. All those years of dealing with bastards gone to waste, literally, if she couldn't manage to keep herself in check with a literal baby.

"It doesn't matter I-"

Lara cut her short, that was it. Her facade of being her ally had come crashing down, her true purpose apparent. She wasn't going to be swayed like that, like a rookie. She was past that now, she wasn't going to fall for it again.

"That's it then. Go find the silver box on your own " .

She started walking, ready to leave Kassandra and her proposition behind, her hand close to her climbing axe, her body ready to retaliate should Kassandra try to stop her or attack her.

"Wait."

Lara turned around slowly, ready to hear another lie.

_Go on.I know your type._

"They killed my family. That's why I'm hunting them."

She broke the silence by telling her the truth, by telling her something she never dared to tell anyone else. The truth she herself couldn't ever come to terms with even after all these years.

It was never her hand that delivered the killing blow to Deimos, never his hand that pushed his blade into Myrrine, and countless other innocents.

No.

It was the cult. The cult of Kosmos. They were the ones who made Alexios into a monster, the definition of dread. The brother she had loved so dearly died the day he fell from Mount Taygetos, his fate sealed.

To die by his own sisters hands.

Myrrine, her mater, the one who's face she had longed to see for so long, died in her arms having bled to death. All because the cult destroyed the humanity inside Alexios, tortured him, used him like a pawn, made him numb when he was nothing more than a child.

" _You tortured him?! He was just a baby!"_

_She had wanted to rip Chrysis' heart out right at the spot, would have done so if that maláka hadn't set fire to the temple with a small baby inside, helpless and innocent, just like Alexios. She had opted to save that poor baby, lest his mother suffer the same fate her mater did._

Her heart still ached with that pain.

"They _what_?"

Lara couldn't believe it.

"They killed my family." Kassandra couldn't back paddle now. She needed to do everything she could to make sure Lara would agree, anything and everything. She was important, if she weren't Aletheia wouldn't have intervened. Kassandra knew that, she couldn't let her get away.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Lara was at a loss for words. It never crossed her mind that Kassandra would say something like that. There was no way in hell she was lying now. The way she said it, her tone said it all, she wasn't lying. Kassandra had suffered the same fate as her, went through the same hurt. She wouldn't lie about something like that.

Even if she were lying, Lara's heart refused to believe it. Utterly, completely. Almost as if..

As if they had known each other before. A stranger she met only a few hours ago.

_Impossible_.

"Never mind. It happened a long time ago." Kassandra quickly wiped away the lone tear that ran down her cheek, pivotting around to look at the young woman " You. Why are you on their tail?"

"Because of the same reason." She replied in an instant as she came towards Kassandra, eyes trained on her face, looking for signs of lies, body language that would prove her statement otherwise.

She found none of it. Her own statement enough to make her feel down in the dumps. It was only fair she told her the truth, because Kassandra had done the same. Fair was fair.

"W-what did you say?" Kassandra couldn't believe it at first.

Was this even true?

Did this mean that….Lara sought vengeance too? Exactly the way she did, felt exactly what she felt? The pain of losing one's family is the worst kind of hurt known to humanity, enough to crush their entire being, their entire soul as she liked to say. They both had went through that, doesn't matter where or when, all that matters is it happened.

_There and then._

"My father. They killed him, and they plan to reshape the world, cleanse it of so called ' _evil'._ I won't let that happen." Lara looked Kassandra in the eyes, ready to accept her proposal "I'll help you, but I must know that you won't leave halfway through. We don't have much time, both of us will have to stretch ourselves thin trying to look for the silver box. It won't be easy."  
Lara needed all the help she could get even if it went against her rule of working alone (with the exception of Jonah), it was necessary if she wanted to save the world. Literally.

Kassandra was flabbergasted. That tiny little archeologist sounded so different just now. Determination pulsing through her veins made her appear more confident and braver than she looked, more dominant than she was a few minutes ago. She sounded like a completely different person.

"So, deal?" Lara extended her hand, waiting for the other woman.

"Deal." She replied as she shook the other womans hand, signifying the start of their partnership.

_Partnership that would take them on an odyssey into the shadows._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay,that was longer than I had planned.That last line may be cheesy but meh..I like it.
> 
> I deliberately made Kass trip.You'll understand why in the next few chapters :) I liked the way Lara's and Kass' meeting turned out,I had thought about scrapping it but decided to go with it nonetheless.I just hope it doesn't feel too rushed cos I'm not going for a slow burn,but I want things to make sense.
> 
> And excuse any grammatical errors if there are any in there, please.I'm working on it and will get better asap.


	3. Just A Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me longer than expected to post this cos;
> 
> One, I fell ill :(
> 
> And two, I spent practically my entire last week learning new ways to write. So,hopefully this chapter will be an improvement over the others. I apologize for it being somewhat short, my flu didn't allow me to write as much as I wanted to :(
> 
> And thank you soooooooo much for all the hits, kudos, bookmarks and whatnot. It means heaps to me!

-0-

"Where do you suggest we..uh, start looking for the silver box?" If being unable to keep her eyes open and slurring her words were anything to go by, Kassandra was clearly exhausted. She had spent the previous night twisting and turning around in her bedroll, cursing Morpheus as best as she could for afflicting her with grisly nightmares. She had given up on sleeping soon after, spending the rest of her night astray in her thoughts.

"I think.. we'll find what we need in Paititi." The young woman was constantly tugging on her bottom lip, uncertainty tinting her eyes as she caught a glimpse of the other woman, half worn-out due to fatigue.

"I see." She paused for a split second, squinting at the cerulean sky above, "Do you mind coming inside please? I can't stand the heat anymore."

"Uh, sure."

Kassandra led the young woman into her tent, a small tent with enough space for two, enough to provide them both temporary relieve from the scorching heat of the sun as they both sat down, ready to confer their next move on finding the silver box.

"So, do you have a lead on it?Anything at all?" Kassandra inquired as she wiped sweat off of her forehead, her jaw clenched due to a raging headache.

"I do." Lara wasn't feeling too pleasant either, she wasn't used to this kind of weather. Her flushed cheeks and sweaty palms enough of a testament. 

"What're you waiting for then, .. tell me." She gesticulated with her fingers sluggishly pointing towards herself, her barely open eyes doing a piss poor job of hiding her weariness. 

"There's this riddle that me and my friend have been deciphering." She stopped for a moment, eyes widening before continuing nervously, "I uh, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you this but I'm here with a friend so.."

"It's fine, the riddle please?" She wasn't interested in hearing about her friend, she didn't have the time for that. She needed details. Details that would get this show on the road. "Let's hear it" she quirked up her eyebrows and pursed her lips, ready to hear what the archeologist had to say.

If only she knew how bad she was going to get put in her place by a tiny British girl.

"Right, it goes something like this. To find the hidden city, go south along the shore until you find the pink fish. Then chase the heart of the serpent to the silver-crowned mountain where the Twins confer." She looked at Kassandra, her head slightly tilted and hands folded, "What do you make of that?"

She was ready to get back at her, her complacent face-wide smile on full display in it's grand splendor as she spoke once again. Slowly.

"Any idea?" 

_Just you wait._

"Hmm…source of the pink fish.." Kassandra paused for a moment to ponder over the riddle, opening and closing her mouth at regular intervals, "I can't make out what that means.." before finally falling silent. Her brows furrowed and eyes cast downward in search of an answer.

_Pink fish._

_Silver-crowned mountain._

That was when Lara stepped in, ready to thrash her for making fun of her previously. No one belittled her and got away with that.

"Pink fish means pink dolphins." 

Kassandra quickly glanced up and found the young woman smirking.

"And since pink dolphins are native to the Amazonian river, it only makes sense to search where the river system travels through to find Paititi. Namely Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia and Brazil." Her ingenious smirk had brought a grin on Kassandra's face as well, something she hadn't expected.

Why was she grinning now?

"I was wrong to have underestimated you ," she put her hand on the archeologists shoulder, an honest smile on her face , "I'm sorry about what happened the other day, I acted irrationally." 

The other woman was taken aback, her eyes narrowed into half-moon slits as she tried figuring out what was currently happening.

"You definitely _are_ an archeologist." She let her hand fall down, genuinely impressed " I'm just a simple explorer, but I know a rarity when I see one."

Kassandra had been angry, yes, but that didn't mean she was angry all the time or downright stupid. She had grown in the last two thousand years, had changed herself in entirety. She had become a totally new person, only carrying on her trait of humility down with a speck of her fabled anger with her.   
She had chastised herself for acting impulsively that day, what if she had done something she would later come to regret? She had to take care of the balance, she couldn't afford to act like that. Because all that she saw was a young woman, already in shame over what she had done and she decided to make it worse by threatening the poor thing.

She needed to cut her some slack. Apologizing never hurt anyone.

"You–I–um,It's..okay" Lara was severly confused, blinking rapidly over Kassandra's unusually kind reply given the first impression she had made on her, she didn't seem so menacing now, "I didn't mean to-"

"I think I might have deserved that " she shot the archeologist a wink, trying to ease her rising tension.

Lara looked her in the eyes fixedly, still finding them uncannily familiar, still unable to comprehend why she felt this unidentifiable nervousness inside her. Was it because she didn't feel safe?

No.

The aura, the atmosphere, the semblance around Kassandra didn't feel uninviting at all.

  
_Why am I not feeling uncomfortable around her?_

  
The young woman was anxious because she wasn't feeling apprehensive around Kassandra, something that did not make any sense in her eyes given their former encounter.

The epitome of an over-thinking young adult, if you will.

"To the matter at hand now, " Kassandra averted her gaze to bring out a small packet of gum from her back pocket and popped one in her mouth before vivaciously offering her, " Want some?" She was trying her hardest to come off as chummy as possible, praying for it to come naturally to her since she hadn't had a legitimate conversation with someone other than Aletheia in more than five hundred years.

_Zeus so help her._

  
"N-no thank you" She gave her a tight-lipped smile, unable to figure out for the life of her why this woman was acting as if she were her bosom buddy.

_What the hell?_

"Okay, so here's what we're going to do. We have to–wait a second.." She stopped instantly for a few seconds as if something had just clicked, her lips slightly divided.

"Read that riddle to me again. Slowly this time." Her eyes crinkling with sudden enthusiasm given her groggy state was…. _odd_ , to say the least.

"To find the hidden city, go south along the shore until you find the pink fish." She paused for a second before continuing, "Then chase the heart of the serpent to the silver-crowned mountain where the Twins confer. What is it?" Lara couldn't wait to hear what she had figured out, maintaining steady eye contact with the woman in front of her.

"Look, we both know that the Amazonian river system originates in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and pink fish means pink dolphins that are only found in the Amazon, right?" 

"Yes, what are you trying to say?"

Lara caught it on at the same moment Kassandra decided to spell it out.

"Peru! Paititi is in Peru!" the archeologist was absolutely ecstatic about it, with this information in hand she might be able to get a few steps ahead of Trinity, she didn't want to waste a moment longer in idle chat. "I have to tell Jonah about it!" she almost yelled as her brain went haywire, her entire body pulsing with barely contained intensity.

Of all things, Kassandra found herself interested in this Jonah. Who was he now? Lara did mention working with a friend to help her with the riddle though.

"Jonah?" She asked the young woman, bringing her eyebrows together, "Is he your friend, the one you're working with?" 

"Oh I'm sorry about that, yes he is helping me and a dear friend." Her shy smile immediately dropped as she remembered she had been away for a few hours, her eyes frozen open, "Shit,I have to tell him about it!" She hastily got up on her feet, heading out of the tent ready to make her way back to him.

"Where are you going?" Kassandra scratched her cheek, her face a jumbled amalgamation of confusion and curiosity.

"I have to get back! I have to explain this all to him!" She began running like a bat out of hell, not caring if the other woman was following her behind or not.

"Hey, wait I'm coming!" Kassandra frantically got up, grazing her knee in the process and began running after the young archeologist. She couldn't afford to let this woman out of her sight, she wasn't going to take chances this time.

She knew now, this archeologist had chaotic energy.

  
_Mad chaotic energy._

-0-

Lara's newfound partnership with the woman guilty of attacking her proved something mighty difficult for Jonah to digest. Any sane human would be concerned for the well-being of their friend if they suddenly decided to become business partners with someone who could be classified as a potential enemy. Because the genious younger croft had allowed the ' _explorer_ ' to tag along with her to the camp. He may not have been happy with the way she had been acting recently, but she was still his friend.

The air around her was riddled with awkward tension and aggression. Jonah was radiating with hostility, giving her heated glares each time she batted her eye on him in the middle of her conversation with Lara. Kassandra was growing more and more irritable by the moment, wanting to give the man an earful. He was getting on her nerves, she would snap any second now.

"And since we have next to nothing to go off of, instinct is—" Lara was cut short by Kassandra, anger having gotten the better of her.

"Listen to me, you pinhead " She raised her index finger towards him, each step louder than the first as she closed the distance between Jonah and herself, her teeth gritted and eyes bursting with acrimony, " I'm not your enemy but if you-"

"You won't intimidate me, do what you will. Lara might trust you but I don't, you ought to remember that." Jonah sneering at her didn't assuage her already foul mood either. The man was an inch shorter than her, but that didn't seem to faze him "She took on an entire island of psychopaths and got out just fine, you're heavily mistaken if you think you can so much as put a scratch on her." His forehead was gleaming with sweat, veins pulsing near his temple, an obvious scowl on his face.

"I don't have any quarrel with you but keep on being a jerk and I'll give you something to whine about." Her icy stare and red face would have made any other heavyweight run off in the opposite direction, but Jonah didn't move an inch. 

Madmen were nothing compared to what she had faced. She had defeated all manners of supernatural creatures ranging from Medusa to The Sphinx, had been hailed as Theseus reborn after slaying The Minotaur in Messara and had met mythical Olympian Gods Posiedon and Hades in the flesh, she really had seen it all. Worst of it all being she couldn't tell anyone about it without them making fun of her.

  
They both stood their ground, glaring heinously at each other until Lara breached the area between them, coming to a halt in front of Jonah. " Jonah stop! Please stop, just trust me!" she looked at him with pleading eyes, her voice purposely soft as she spoke once again, " Trust me on this one please. We don't have much time, I'm only asking for her help. Please, this is no time to act impulsively like I did. We have to set things right, and she's just going to help us. Okay? " She gave him a reassuring smile before turning around, cross-examining the other woman with careful eyes devoid of any emotion " And if anything does happen…unfortunate, I'll rectify my mistake by myself. " 

"I'm not some low-life legionnaire." Kassandra didn't take too kindly to that, "You won't have to. I didn't ask for your help to cheat on you. " Her firm tone and focused eyes could have been enough to convince Lara in other circumstances, but since her own mind was as tangled as Jonah's bass earphones right now, she found it hard to think straight. 

Her gut-feeling about Kassandra might be borderline cordial, but Lara wasn't going to let gut-feelings dictate her actions. She had decided to act as astutely as possible, given her impetous behaviour was the reason she was teamed up with the taller woman. She couldn't let her guard down no matter what.

"We'll see about that." She veered around to look at Jonah, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Let's find us a way out of here."

"She's coming with us? " He didn't hide his grumpy frown, he did not like Kassandra. No point in pretending otherwise.

"I'll meet you there myself. End of discussion. " Kassandra wasn't going anywhere with those two right off the bat, she'd probably end up bagging both of their bodies in her bedroll and letting it sink into the bottom of the Amazon river without regrets. Both of them were incorrigible, she wasn't looking forward to working with them in the slightest, not to mention her cover being at immediate risk at all times.

"How will you know where to find us?" Lara's questioning look prompted her to continue.

" Same way I knew you were the one who made away with the dagger. " She wasn't even being sarcastic right now but the way she busted that out so nonchalantly made Lara roll her eyes.

That felt somewhat gratifying to the other woman, though it wasn't necessarily Lara she was all worked up over.

  
"I suppose you won't tell me that either.." That stung, being constantly reminded that she was the one responsible for the apocalypse felt degrading, even if it weren't done on purpose.

" Bingo. See you in Peru with your-" she gave a side-long glance at Jonah, mentally urging herself to not say something offensive, to not call Jonah her _gigolo boyfriend_ , "Your….friend." before walking away into the dense forest on the other side of the hill, overlooking Cozumel. 

…

"I take it she only annoys me? " Jonah broke the uncomfortable silence of about 17 minutes that had been reigning since Kassandra had left with his disdain for the woman.

"…We just need her help, Jonah. Nothing more, nothing less. " Lara slouched over herself, Jonah was upset with her over not one, but two things now. That was a small record of sorts in itself.

" You keep telling yourself that. " he slithered past her to grab his bag, zipping it up and inspecting Lara from the corner of his eye. She was still slouched over herself, leaning against a tree. "I'm with you, you know that. But stop trusting strangers Lara, especially strangers like her. " His barbed tone a clear indication the man wasn't warming up to Kassandra anytime soon. 

"..Just trust me this once. I promise I-"

"You don't have to promise me anything. Just be cautious around her. " His face softened a bit when he stared at Lara's stiff form, "You can only save the world if you yourself are safe."

"Okay.." she raised her head up as she nodded, a gentle quirk of the lips playing on her face as she turned her head to look at him, "Sam will brand you the next Socrates if I tell her about it."

That was a welcome change of topic for Jonah, his own lips got stretched in a smile "She's nothing short of Persephone herself. " Lara found herself giggling at his assertion, her friend could indeed play a plausible queen of the underworld in a theatre play or something of the like. Sam would beg to differ though.

"But that's an odd comparison. Socrates was just a philosopher while Persephone a Goddess. " Her mischievous exclamation made Jonah roll his eyes in a playful manner, " You can call me Herakles then, fair enough? " 

"I wouldn't count on it if I were you. " She hadn't laughed in the slightest since her mishap with the dagger, this was a refreshing change. 

  
Kassandra was still lingering in her mind though. It was true, she had never trusted a stranger like that before. Her instincts never failed her, especially after what happened on Yamatai. She was waiting for an opportune moment to ask her a question that was probably on both their minds;

  
_Have we met before?_

  
Her hazel eyes seemed far too familiar, in all her years she had never happened upon a soul that made her feel this way. As if she already knew her, without even having met her.

  
Maybe, this is what they call déjà vu.

  
She would unriddle that soon enough, as soon as she met her in Peru. It was only a matter of time before her true nature would unfold, fake display of comradeship only holds up for so long. But she had a presentiment her upcoming encounters with Kassandra would go just fine, provided Jonah behaved himself. Part of it owing to the fact that she seemed just as desperate to get the silver box as her, unwavering desperation only known to those who seek vengeance. Or redemption.

She would find out all the answers to her questions soon enough.

* * *

It had been a while now since Kassandra had had a _civil_ , _diplomatic_ and _courteous_ _conference_ with Jonah Maiava and Lady Lara Croft. Her raging headache refused to subside, courtesy of her staying awake an entire night. The Spartan in her desperately wanted to drop Jonah off of the face of earth, but that would be an insult to her true-self. She wasn't a self-absorbed, narcissistic mercenary who couldn't contain her fury because of a noob giving her dirty looks.

She was more than that.

Night had fallen by the time she made her way to her camp, she had been tempted to teleport to Peru to start her work right away but argued herself into staying the night for her own sake. She wouldn't be able to concentrate in a state like this anyway. The adrenaline had worn off a few minutes after she had left, her movements becoming slower and slower and eyes darting around everywhere, trying resolutely to not just topple over and sleep to her hearts content.

She hadn't been sleep-deprived since forever.

  
She was lying down in her bedroll comfortably, had almost fallen asleep when Aletheia's artificial voice popped up in her head. Annoyed didn't even begin to cover what she was feeling like right now.

  
"I don't understand why you are so bitter, Keeper. "

" Couldn't you save your ted-talk for tomorrow? I can barely speak Aletheia, let me sleep." She snapped maddenly, bringing the covers up to hide her face in it, mumbling from underneath them " Have mercy on me please. " 

"There's no need to be so angry, Keeper. Remember-"

"To keep an eye out for any maláka looking to tip the scale. Yes, I know that by heart now. Chaire." She replied conclusively as she shifted to her other side to try and sleep once again. "Say what you want now, I'm gone."

  
"Not all is what it seems. Anger may stem from the desire of being unable to steer away from the unknown, but many transcendent journeys also begin the same way. " The Isu often gave her fair pieces of advice, reminding her of Socrates at times but her nonchalance always made her sound factitious. This particular instance was different though, she sounded different than she usually did. As if she were hinting at something Kassandra would only understand far into the future. 

That made Kassandra open her eyes sluggishly, her mind trying to make out what the Isu had just said.

"What did you say? " She closed her eyes again, waiting for Aletheia but the Isu was gone now. She had a habit of jerking her awake at odd hours and then leaving like it were no big deal but then again, she was but a simulation.   
They got along most of the time, except for the times she tried teaching Kassandra how she's supposed to behave as the keeper of the staff, or when she tried telling her that pain and sorrow would always be a part of her life. That she would learn to love again only to lose it once more, Kassandra always berated her for making her feel this way, for reminding her she was nothing but a tool, a forgotten hero who would never be remembered.

Neither as the Eagle Bearer who climbed her way to the top of the mercenary chain, nor as the daughter of Myrrine who won the battle of Amphipolis for Sparta. One of the many achievements she would have shared to a willing soul who cared, but she never found somebody who did.

  
All of this being the reason she found it difficult to believe what the Isu had said. She may have offered her advice throughout her tenure as the keeper but none of that was meant for her personally, unlike her current statement that had Kassandra thinking too much. 

"No point in losing sleep over senseless monologue. I better sleep, I can't deal with all three of them if I'm not myself. " She groaned as she quickly shut down her brain, her whirlwind of thoughts calming down as she gently drifted away into a dreamy trance, willing herself to have a good nights sleep. 

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

-0-

_"Kassandra"_

_A voice calls out from the void as she stands there, frantically turning around in the darkness, trying to follow a familiar voice reaching out to her as she blindly makes her way through the dark, veering to her left before pivotting to the right, unable to see in the shadowy and murky vaccum. All in search of the one calling her out._

  
_"Kassandra, don't leave me please."_

_The voice starts getting laced with anguish and distress the closer she gets to it. She runs and runs and runs, until she eyes a ray of fluorescent light seeping through at the end of the void._

_"What will I do without you "_

_She dashes towards the exit, running at full speed as if she were racing against the grip of Hades, ready to clutch her soul in a death-grisp. To take her where she had sent legions of many. Her breathing grows erratic by the moment but that doesn't stop her, she is drawn to the person calling out to her from the other side, " Where are you?! " She shouts at the top of her lungs, her own voice breaking apart as she tries once more, tears shining in her weary eyes "Where are you?! "_

_She comes to a brightly lit vastness after seemingly running for an eternity, trying her best to catch her breathing when she sees someone standing at the far end. She tries squinting her eyes to make out their features but the distance doesn't allow her to percieve much. She treads carefully, her heart racing and a lump making its way to her throat, she senses as if she's connected to this person in the most mysterious of ways._

_She's only a few metres away now, she wills herself to calm down and reaches her hand out to the person who had been calling out to her, hidden in the veil of darkness. Her hand is only inches away from them before fire engulfs her from all around making the figure disappear, pitch-black darkness infused with red flames hungry to consume her when the voice starts resonating again after a pause, more rueful and calamitous than before._

_"Please, save me. "_

  
_She feels her entire being squeeze in torment and despair, her brows raised and eyes watery as she searches for a way out of the fire, darting in every direction to find a way out. To reach out to someone calling out to her for help. For someone asking her to stay. Someone who needs her, no matter how dark the other half of her being might have gotten after all these years. They desperately need her._

_In her frenzied state of uncovering an exit, she sees their silhouette amidst the cover of the dark fire, she sprints with all her rapidity fully aware of what is about to happen if she doesn't make it there in time._

_She screams, "No! Don't—no! Stop!" her determination falls apart as she falls down to her knees, admitting defeat in one last attempt of trying to escape the inevitable, "Don't do this to me! Please stop! " Her vocals turning into spells of uncontrollable sobs. There was no way out of this inferno, and she had failed to save somebody who needed her. Who expected her to save them, to shield them from misery. She failed, like she always had before._

_She watches helplessly as the silhouette gets stabbed in their heart, their agonizing scream of pain piercing her ears. She tries getting up, her voice quivering as she makes a futile attempt to reach out once more, "I'm sorry…" Her pale, trembling features marking the edges of her face with heartache, " Don't go.."_

_She can't help but feel the blazing flames and smoke rising around her, mock her. As if they're speaking a language of their own, to remind her she's nothing but a failure. Nothing but a washed out human._

_She screams, before holding her head in her hands, hating herself for never being enough, for never being there for those who love her. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry.." She keeps muttering to the emptiness, asking for forgiveness, reprieve she doesn't deserve but gravely needs… "I'm sorry, Please forgive me…"_

-0-

"N-no!" 

Kassandra jerked awake, her entire body sweating profusely, eyes moist with tears and her mind a puzzled wreck. Her mouth was dry and her heartbeat alarmingly high. She got out of her bedroll in an instant, heading outside to find out that dawn was still sometime away. The stars were glittering in the night sky as usual, she had been asleep for quite some time now.

She slouched over herself putting her hand on her heart, taking deep breaths after regular intervals to calm herself. She kept swallowing her sobs away, her eyes jammed shut, afraid that if she opened them she would end up crying until dawn. She didn't want that, it was just a nightmare.

It was just a nightmare that made her feel exactly what she felt when Daphnae broke her heart on Chios except now, someone had actually needed her to stay. 

  
Except this time, she became Daphnae as she broke the one calling out to her, eventhough she had tried her hardest to reach out to them. She was no different than her if she couldn't be there for someone who loved her.

_Who was that?_

  
"Calm down…" she inhaled slowly before exhaling two seconds later , "It's just a dream…just a dream. " She kept chewing on her lips as she opened her tear-filled eyes, her trembling refusing to go away.

  
_It's going to be okay. It's just a dream._

  
_Just a dream._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just small bits of general information here :)
> 
> Morpheus is the greek god of dreams so y'all should offer him a sacrifice before breaking someone's heart (lol jk)
> 
> Persephone is the wife of Hades and queen of the underworld. A minor deity but still powerful because...well..she is a goddess.
> 
> No need to tell you guys about my boy Herakles because he is the famous demi-god who murdered his wife and children in a bout of rage. Oops. But he was strong, incredibly strong.
> 
> I wanted to include one more specific scene in here as well but it would have felt forced so I decided to leave it out. Also yes, I love Daphnae and Kassandra. Period. Don't call me out on it.


	4. The Hem Of Consciousness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sorry for updating late, I was working on two university assignments which gave me next to no time to write. 
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be longer but since there are already lotsa things happening here, I cut it short.
> 
> Oh and thank you to all who read, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's invested in this story :) If there is any suggestion you'd like to make, feel free to let me know!

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

Kassandra had been doing this for a while now, had been trying to calm herself down after having had a dreadful nightmare, but to no avail. Those ghastly mirages refused to let go of her mind, chasing her conscience unceasingly like the tsunami she had barely escaped from. Each shaky breath she took did the exact opposite of what it was supposed to, her sky-high heartbeat refused to subside, her trembling even worse than before. 

She figured it would be better to open her eyes, keeping them shut wasn't doing her any good. She opened her eyes slowly, tears visible as she tried straightening her posture, taking in deep breaths. She sat down, resting her back against a lanky tree, her gaze empty as she stared at the horizon. All that her mind could focus on was the horror she had woken up from, she had been chewing on her lip for so long she could taste the barest tinge of blood on her tongue now. She hadn't felt vulnerable like this in so long, not since she had taken on the duty as the keeper of the staff. 

Something felt _different_ about that dream.

She had always made it a point to never develop sentimental attachments to anybody, but she was still human save for a human ending even if she did try pretending otherwise. She often found herself caring for the people she sacrificed her mortality for, why wouldn't she? All the downright monstrous atrocities committed by humans against their own kind always made her blood boil, she was protecting the balance for _them_ so they could know a life of peace and harmony yet here they were, preoccupied in foulplay with one another. 

In all her years of existing, she never allowed herself emotional inwardness with anyone except for the countable few times she just couldn't manage to keep her emotions in check, something she continually came to regret.

This was one of those times, but the fact that she didn't even know who it was she was all worked up over made it a tad bit complicated.

She got drawn out of her dismal train of thoughts by the first orange hues of the breaking dawn pleasantly infiltrating her line of sight, the faint chirping of birds and the like coupled with the sound of the steadily flowing river calming her frightened senses, the sudden letup of self-awareness allowing one lone tear to cheat its way out of her dreary eyes. She lifted her eyes to take in perhaps one of the most beautiful sunrises she had ever witnessed. The sun had appeared on the horizon hidden behind a cluster of clouds, its tangerine rays spread out in every direction as if they were trails left behind by Helios' chariot, the sky a commixture of lead-blue and azure with the ambience embraced by the cool morning breeze. The vista was so alluring it could have been enough to make Alkibiades shutup about birds and the bees for once to be cognizant of the truly magnificent wonders of nature.

She would have appreciated it all as well had she not been in a obscure state of mind, she raised her hand to wipe away the traitorous tear off her cheek, her stare still empty as she stood up passively. She was fighting away everything the dark fraction of her mind was throwing her way, she had fought like this so many times before that she knew exactly how to be rid of these sensations, but this time was proving to be slightly different. No matter how many times she blinked her eyes she found herself surrounded by desirous flames avid to devour her, unable to find her way out of this labyrinth to reach out to the one calling out to her. She was sweating profusely even with the gentle breeze caressing her skin every now and then, caught in the limbo between reality and illusions unable to grasp over her consciousness. 

She couldn't stop thinking about the person she had so desperately tried to reach in her nightmare. They had seemed so familiar yet she didn't even know who they were. They weren't Myrrine, Alexios, Phoibe or anyone else close to her. She didn't know why every inch of her soul was made into pieces from a whole all because of an unknown human being, why every pant of hers awakened memories she didn't know she had until now, why her broken and battered heart felt connected to the one she wasn't even acquainted with. Her delirious mind was trying to make sense of it all but her heart forbade that all from happening. She clenched both of her hands inflexibly, mumbling words of reassurance to herself in hopes of calming her viability.

_It's okay._

_Don't be afraid, it was just a bad dream._

  
She was in the middle of it when she heard the howling. 

A pack of wolves was close, _dangerously_ close. 

She had to get herself together if she didn't want to get chomped on by them. Even if she wasn't feeling like her usual self, she had to kick away the darkness that had been plaguing her since she had woken up an hour or so ago to defend herself against those wolves. 

She shifted her stance to face the dense forest behind her, her drained but wary eyes searching for signs of disturbance. She discreetly walked back into her tent to grab the pistol she always kept to herself wherever she went, she figured it'd be the better choice since she didn't want to use the staffs extraordinary abilities against a few run-of-the-mill wolves, she probably wouldn't be able to control it given her current state anyway. Hunting their pack with a pistol might sound a bit crazy to the average hunter but desperate times called for desperate measures. 

She loaded up her pistol, and slowly made her way into the forest, ready to get pounced on at any minute. Her previously somber eyes were now burning with caution, her each step as silent as could be as she crouched to look at her left where the howling had been coming from before stopping behind a small bush. After having taken a closer look, she saw that it wasn't a pack, but a duo of them. One of them was about as tall as the Lykaon Wolf she had fought, but not nearly as burly. She was unsure of what she was supposed to do now. They hadn't attacked her yet but that didn't mean they were docile creatures, they could still attack others that had the misfortune of being in the same vicinity.

_Would it be morally right to assault them?_

  
That idea was thrown out of the window as soon as another wolf appeared magically out of nowhere. It had started growling fiercely, showing its razor-sharp teeth and began circling her which alerted the other two. She hurriedly got up with her index finger pressed against the trigger ready to shoot at them, stepping away from the bush she had been hiding into their territory, an open area with its ground faintly stained by dried blood. She was tightly surrounded by them, there was no way she could get out of this unscathed without using the staffs powers.

So much for not cheating for once.

"Maláka, why does it always have to be this way? " she exclaimed annoyingly before putting her gun away back into her pocket, a barely observable cloud of xanthous light emitting out of her as she got ready to take out them in the blink of an eye, her caduceus pendant radiating with artificial energy.

Instead, she got surprised by something else.

  
Three fully charged and perfectly placed arrows struck the triad of them in their hearts, taking out two of them in a single hit. That caught the alpha off guard, his sudden distressed howl giving her enough time to pull out her gun once again and shoot him twice in the same spot as the arrow. That was more than enough to kill him as he lay there dead along with the other two, the soil red with their blood. She quickly turned around, pistol in hand to percieve where the arrows came from, her brows pulled together in a frown due to confusion. 

She had expected it to be many things but it turned out to be the one she hadn't even imagined.

A young woman with her beautiful brown hair flowing majestically in the soft zephyr stood there with her equally, if not more, beautiful brown eyes directed at the other woman. She wasn't particularly tall or short but her stance and the way she held her recurve bow made her appear alot more imposing and confident.

Kassandra hadn't had the oppurtunity to take in her features wholly previously, all she remembered was her being pretty and extremely intractable. But she knew now, Lara was more appealing than she'd care to admit since she had been focused on the young woman for a few minutes now. She had never been superficial but she wasn't destitute of vision either, she knew when someone was easy on her eyes. She had met many who were more enticing than her but they never caught her eye. 

Something about Lara felt different from the get-go.

She hadn't been expecting her here, the archeologists presence here only muddled her already dazed mind.

_You?!_

"What are you doing here?! " Kassandra put her gun back, completely bewildered with reference to what Lara was doing here. The forest was distinctly small but still not small enough for Lara to have found her without resorting to stalking. 

That was when she remembered.… she gave the woman directions to her camp.

_Oh perfect._

This woman was unpredictable, to say the least. What did she want now?

"Is that how you say thank you? " Lara casually spoke as she put back her bow, a tiny smirk on her lips to tease Kassandra as she strode her way towards the other woman.

The way she walked reminded Kassandra so much of Daphnae. The same fearlessness and charisma exuding out of her, her knowing smirk etched in her face due to having saved her. And on top of that, her immediate display of her archery skills certified her being the superior one in that category. She was almost as gifted as Daphnae. 

Kassandra had never met someone in all her years who reminded her of the daughter, but Lara did. 

In more ways than one. 

She puzzlingly found herself drawn to the woman infront of her and she didn't know what to make of it. She already had been emotionally vulnerable due to a bad dream, this was just the cherry on top. 

Getting reminded of someone she loved by someone she found insufferable.

She would have been okay either way, but technically she was still saved, no two ways about that. She was going through a severe case of guilt-trips right now, Zeus so help her.

  
"Hey? Are you okay? "

Something must have appeared on Kassandra's face, because the other woman's smirk had morphed into an expression of concern as she approached Kassandra, holding her gaze intently, " You seem tired. Did you even sleep? " The concern lacing her voice as she spoke perplexed Kassandra in the most warmhearted of ways. No one had been concerned for her in a very long time let alone a stranger she met two days ago, it had been an eternity since she had been shown kindness by someone. It was only natural for her to feel fond of the other woman. This felt… _nice_. 

"Yes I'm okay. " she tried answering the question as offhandedly as she could, her shoulders tensed up as she glanced away from Lara to inspect the dead wolves before refocusing her bemused eyes on the young woman again , "What are you doing here? I thought you'd have left by now. " 

"Jonah is working on that, we'll be gone by noon. Hopefully. " Lara was not buying what Kassandra had just said, having assessed her. Her disheveled appearence told another story, one she wasn't going to tell her no matter what. "Let's go to your camp, we'll talk there. " She gave her a small smile before walking ahead, gesturing with her hand for the other woman to follow.

Kassandra was in awe, this woman was dauntless as hell. She returned the archeologist a gracious smile before walking up to her, " Sure. "

  
Their small but silent walk back gave Kassandra time to ponder over two things.

One, she needed to apologize properly to Lara for hitting her like a drugged maniac. The woman had been courteous enough to take care of the wolves on her behalf. Nobody else would have, humans were a band of good-for-nothing malákas now mostly. She could have left if she wanted to, had every right to do so but she didn't.

Two, get a grip on herself. The nightmare was long over, she needed to get out of her feels or whatever the fuck it was that was making her feel so fond of the other woman. The time to get all mushy was long gone now, she had to close off her vulnerability as soon as possible. Yes, it was true she had decided to lull Lara into a false sense of fellowship for the sake of her duty, but that didn't mean she had to fake her emotions so strongly they became real.

" Did you sleep last night? " Lara's sudden query drew Kassandra out of her musings, " You look tired. "

" I did, but uh.. " she stopped for a moment to hastily consider an appropriate lie to tell, " their howling woke me up. " pointing her thumb to the forest behind them, with the fakest smile she could muster. She leaned her back on the same tree she had been sitting under after having had that ugly nightmare. Just that reminder was enough to make her shudder.

" I see, but don't you think it was a bit…. ludicrous to have gone hunting armed with just a.. " she lifted her hand to point at the pistol stocked in Kassandra's pocket, her smile shaky as she spoke ".. a _pistol_? "

Kassandra audibly sighed, it's not like she could tell Lara about the staff's powers. She would have been just fine even if Lara hadn't killed them. But technically, yes, it was nonsensical of anyone to go chase wild animals equipped with nothing but a small hand gun. She understood where Lara was coming from.

" I know " she lifted her head to meet the other woman's gaze, her eye color was just a shade darker than her own, " But this was all I had. " 

"I understand. " She unfolded her arms, letting them fall to her sides, " I've been there too. "

The archeologist understood Kassandra's situation, she had been in tough circumstances like that one too many times. Like the time she had killed that bear in Siberian wilderness with a lucky strike of her climbing axe, because she didn't have any more arrows left in her quiver. That would make for a good tale around a bonfire with Jonah and Sam.

Kassandra nodded before adding inquisitively, " You still didn't tell me what you're doing here. "

" There's a small village not far from here. " She paused for a moment to brush her bangs out of her face, " The wolves were harassing the locals so I decided to help them out. " 

Lara had always been a good samaritan. Always helping those in need, regardless of her current state.

" I found a group of young boys barely in their teens, armed with make-shift bows. I asked them about it, the wolves had been giving them a bad time for a few weeks. " She gesticulated with her hands while maintaining steady eye contact with Kassandra.

" Well, you took out two of them in a single hit. Good job. " Her face was shining with wonderment, Kassandra was evidently impressed. Not many had left that impression on her.

" Thank you " she glanced at the other woman cordially, gesturing her head down lightly. 

" So, any luck with the riddle? You know, the mountain. " Kassandra spoke a few seconds later, trying a failed attempt to keep things professional, blinking rapidly. Her mind still wasn't out of the gutter, a few flashbacks here and there from the nightmare were gnawing at her all the same. She had never been this much of a wreck over a nightmare before.

" I'm afraid no. We only have instinct to go on. " Her voice dropped down a bit as uncertainty got the better of her, " But we'll find it. I know we will. "

" Let's hope we do. Tem—Trinity will not stop until they've found it. " She quickly covered up her slip of tongue, nearly biting her own tongue in the process. She had to keep her words constrained around Lara. She couldn't afford to slip out sensitive information like that.

" I know. " Lara looked away from Kassandra to admire the skyline. It was still early in the morning, the sun was glowing timidly cushioned underneath a band of clouds. The soothing breeze mixed with the scent of the forest felt really pleasant.

" It's beautiful isn't it? " Lara turned her face to take a gander at Kassandra, but instead got a bit creeped out by the way she was looking at her, " I-is something wrong? " Her face up in an expression of misconstrue.

" N-no no, I just— " Kassandra wanted to facepalm herself so badly.

She had been unintentionally gawking at the other woman while contemplating multitute of ways in her head on how to apologize to the woman. She hadn't been paying attention to the fact that she was blatantly staring at her, she couldn't even begin to imagine how rude it must have made her appear " I'm sorry, I was.. " she leaned away from the tree to step a bit closer to Lara, " I just wanted to apologize for hitting you once again. " She looked down at her feet, not wanting to look the other woman in her eyes. This felt _mortifying_.

That caught Lara off-guard. A sudden wave of timidness came crashing over her, taking away her confidence with a single influx. She had been doing well so far but was now a stuttering mess, tugging at her earlobe repeatedly, "D-didn't you already do that? I-it's okay, no offence taken. " 

Kassandra raised her head to look at Lara, speaking slowly as her pursed lips stretched into a tiny smile, " And thank you for today as well. " She had been cursing herself mentally to at least have the audacity to look at the young woman while she spoke. 

_Maláka! What is wrong with you?!_

She knew she had to express gratitude to Lara, what kind of a person would she be if she didn't ? Myrrine had taught her to always be socially graceful, because it was what would differentiate her from the common boorish rabble. It did get in the way occasionally though, being too polite could at times send the message she was weak back in the day. 

But 21st century was a different story. Even if the humans were a pile of dung now, a select few still behaved like well-adjusted members of society. She urged herself to be kind for their sake. After all, kindness was one of the virtues that made humans, human.

  
" Y-You're welcome " Lara quickly glanced away from Kassandra, feeling brainless as she did so.

 _Why can't you be normal for once_? , the thought swirled around in her head.

This often happened, not because she was some random teen that got the tingles over someone acknowledging her, but because she didn't have any experience in social interactions. She never really had relations with enough people to build up her social skills, was never a social butterfly. She had always been limited to Winston, Sam and more recently, Jonah. Ever since coming back home after Yamatai, she found herself actively avoiding civil contact, crushing any hopes of her learning how to communicate with people. She couldn't entertain the idea of dealing with people, it caused her needless anxiety and tension. She didn't want any of that, her life was already full of distress as it is.

" I-I should probably go now, " she shuffled her feet, already taking a step in the other direction before stopping for a second to look at the taller woman hazily, forcing a smile.

Kassandra could tell how uncomfortable Lara was feeling right now. The glow that had been radiating from her was gone, the same glow that drew her to the young archeologist, her eyes empty of the integrity they had been filled with seconds ago. She couldn't determine the exact reason for the sudden shift in Lara's intrepid demeanor.

" You can stay if you want, I'm not going to hit you for that. " She weaved her words as receptively as she could, flashing her a mischievous smile in hopes of easing the surging tension in the archeologist. She wasn't even pretending right now for Zeus' sake, all of it was coming to her naturally. Exactly the way it used to when she was still the eagle bearer.

That got her a barely detectable giggle out of Lara, maybe she had succeeded in her motive, " I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass. " Lara politely refused her, touching the base of her neck , " Some other time maybe. " 

"Hey, wait— "

Lara had started walking resolutely in the opposite direction,completely zoned out and ready to go back to her camp before she felt Kassandra's hand grasp her wrist softly midway. Her eyes widened as she quickly veered around to see what it was all about, a sudden rush of adrenaline consuming her as she opened her mouth to speak, "Wha— "

" Your axe, " Kassandra instantaneously let go of her wrist to hand over her climbing axe, she had forgotten to take it before leaving, "you forgot to pick it up. " offering her an iffy smile.

Lara had placed her climbing axe next to the tent post, but it slipped her mind in her hurried state of departing. It wasn't necessarily heavy, but carrying it around at all times did get a bit bothersome.

" O-oh, I- I'm, " Her widened eyes flickered down to the axe, before coming back up to focus on the woman in front of her, " I uh, thank you " she reached out her hand to take the climbing axe from Kassandra's hand, accidently brushing her index finger against the taller woman's in the process.

That got them locked in a stare both of them hadn't accounted for.

Lara could see Kassandra's pupils dilate then contract rhythmically so clearly, she could write a hypothesis on what causes widening and simultaneous shrinking of the optical organs of an animate being when faced with specific circumstances. 

After for what seemed like an eternity Kassandra ( _thankfully_ ) snapped out of it, removing her hand from the axe quickly, " So, Peru it is then? " she added in an attempt to mitigate the situation, all the while scratching her face.

Lara held her axe tightly as she blinked rapidly, the muscles around her mouth tense as she dared to speak, her voice lower than she had intended it to be, " Y-yeah, see you in Peru. " She veered around, tugging the axe to her side before almost running in the other direction, unable to identify why in God's name she was acting so awkward.

 _Calm down Croft_ , was all her jittery mind could think.

  
Kassandra did nothing but look in disbelief as the young woman disappeared into the dense forest in a matter of seconds, marching forward as if she was the leader of a platoon expected on the battleground in due time. This woman really was something else.

"What was that all about? " she muttered to herself, not quite sure over what just happened between the two of them.

But there was one thing she was thankful to Lara for. Her presence here had taken her mind off of the troublesome nightmare, she had gotten control over herself and her body had stopped shuddering the moment Lara stepped in to take care of the wolves. Kassandra would have almost attributed this to the Gods watching over her had she not been agnostic, because Lara had unknowingly provided her relief through their chance encounter.

  
" Keeper, you have to go to Peru right away. "

Aletheia _loved_ coming in like that.

The Isu's artificial form materialized in front of her minutes after Lara had left. That was perhaps the fifth or sixth time it had happened in two millenia. Kassandra wasn't pleased though, somewhat offended by her not approaching her earlier when she was in shambles, conveniently ignoring her piece of sound advice she had given her the night before. 

" Still all about business, aren't we? " she grumbled, undeniably annoyed. " I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown this morning but yo— "

"You shouldn't be discussing personal affairs when more critical matters need immediate attention! " The Isu cut her short. Even if the way she spoke was devoid of any emotion , Kassandra still caught the underlying distress in her statement.

" What is it? " Her eyebrows raised as she questioned the Isu once again, " Don't tell me they already found it?! " the timbre of her words coated with anger as she gritted her teeth.

" They will if _you_ don't act quickly. Go to Peru straight away, they are already over there rummaging the whole area. " Aletheia was relentless when it came to protecting Isu artifacts, not caring about anything else.

" Fine fine, " Kassandra put up her hands in a pacifying gesture, seemingly admitting defeat. " I'll find it. "

A dust particle got into her eye that made her blink for a while longer just once. _Once_. And Aletheia was gone now, like always.

" Typical of you. " She put her hands down, sporting her irritation wide on her face as she made her way up to the edge of the hill to infer what she was supposed to do now. She had to get this done and over with straightaway, she didn't have the luxury of time.

The sun was high in the cerulean sky, the assemblage of clouds had dissipated, leaving it to shine in all it's flashing glory. It was probably not long before Lara and Jonah would be enroute to Peru. But the advice Aletheia had given her the previous night came buzzing about in her head suddenly.

Kassandra was sure she had bipolar disorder now. Her mood shifted in the blink of an eye, she needed to get herself checked by a doctor.

She hadn't had the oppurtunity to ask Aletheia about it before, didn't have it now as well, but she did anyway.

" Aletheia.. " solemn all of a sudden, she mumbled to herself unsure why she was doing this, " what you said last night.. " sinking her head to look at her feet, " and my nightmare.. " she tilted her head slightly, lifting her eyes up to look at the horizon. She opened her mouth, trying to coerce herself into saying what she so desperately wanted to, but couldn't. 

_I've had enough of heartaches, don't make me go through that again._

She tried so hard, running past every barrier her mind was putting up against her to disclose what she wanted to but she just couldn't, like something was physically holding her back.

" Nevermind.. " she closed her eyes, veins popping up on the sides of her temple as she focused her mind. A cloud of xanthous fog surrounded her, as she got ready to teleport to Peru. The words she so greatly wanted to say to Aletheia kept ringing in her ears, even as she opened her eyes and abruptly vanished into thin air.

_Don't make me go through heartbreak again._

* * *

Lara was back at her camp now, cursing herself for acting so awkward back there. She was sure Kassandra would treat her like a child now that she had seen her stuttering and scouring her tongue for words like a child who had just learned how to speak. 

_Seriously, what is wrong with you?!_

But now that she had closely seen Kassandra from head to toe, she was one hundred percent sure she had seen the woman somewhere else too. She had a faint memory of having seen her face, it was so vague she could almost brush it off as a trick of her mind, but something stopped her from doing so.

Because she remembered having had a conversation with Kassandra or someone who looked just like her in an iced surrounding. Almost as brisk as Siberia or maybe it was Siberia itself? What if she was just thinking too damn much? 

_No_ , she thought adamantly. One couldn't just make up stuff like this themselves. " I have seen you somewhere I'm sure of it. " She said to herself as she placed her hand on her chin. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even note Jonah. He was back and had been staring at her, entirely befuddled.

" Lara? " One of his eyebrows arched up, not quite sure what Lara was talking about.

His voice drew Lara out of her thoughts, a smile appeared on her face as she approached the man, " Jonah! You're back! Did you find us a way out of here? " 

" I did, but what were you talking about? " 

" What? " Her eyebrows curved up, what was Jonah on about?

Jonah's questioning look made her realize what he was _actually_ asking her about, " Oh that? Nevermind, it's nothing. Let's go. " 

" You sure? " He asked her airily, concerned for her well-being.

" I'm sure. " She stepped forward to put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile " Let's go. "

" Okay ", he glanced over Lara's shoulder to see she had already broken the camp, as if she were sure he would find a way out of here by today. That made him feel blithe inside, she _trusted_ him.

 _I won't let you down my little bird,_ he thought warmly. He would stay by her side through thick and thin, even if she made friends with people who assaulted her. She was his friend, always would be. 

" You still sure about her? " he asked Lara about her decision to partner up with Kassandra. Again.

" I am. " she squinted her eyes, having remembered looking Kassandra in her eyes. She had found nothing there, not even a speck of trickery. " We should give her a chance. "

" Okay, only one chance though. " Jonah shook his head, Lara certainly was stubborn to the core.  
  
She gave him a pat on his shoulder, she knew her friend was concerned for her, " Only once I promise. " her eyes shining with gratitude as she spoke.

With everything out of the way now, Lara and Jonah headed into the jungle to leave for Peru. Ready to resume their search for the silver box. Trinity was already there unbeknownst to them, they had to hurry up if they wanted to beat them to it. It's not like it would just be Lara alone there with Jonah, working everything out by herself alone.

  
_She had Kassandra by her side._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaaayyyy, so first off.
> 
> Yes, when someone is emotionally vulnerable the smallest of gestures can make them feel better. In this case, Lara asking Kassandra about her well-being made Kass feel acknowledged because come on, the woman has been seemingly invincible for two millenia. Lara is one of the few showing her kindness which really does go a long way after you've been alone for so long.
> 
> SOTR gave us nothing in terms of Lara's character development so I'm basing her character off on TR2013 and ROTR. A mix of her confident and shy self. ( I still love Shadow tho, 10/10 would buy again cos that god damn soundtrack is to die for ) SOTR is by no means a bad game, it just didn't establish something new within Lara and it's gameplay.
> 
> And yeah, Kass is having a real bad case of feeling the feels cos,
> 
> A) The poor woman woke up from a nightmare feeling helpless and broken.
> 
> And b) Lara reminds her of Daphnae. Her star-crossed lover. Enough said.
> 
> So uh...yeah. Yeah, have a good day （＾ｖ＾）
> 
> ::Edit:: PLEASE GUYS TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! The world might be going through a shitty phase rn but let's not give up hope. Stay inside, wash your hands and avoid meeting up with people. Be cautious!


	5. Twin Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quarantine sucks. You can't get your creative juices flowing when you're surrounded by brick walls :/ But oh well, gotta stay safe.
> 
> Also worth mentioning, this chapter is slightly longer than the ones I've written so far and is about ninety nine percent Kassandra. Sorry about that ^^'

Kassandra had arrived in Peru in the blink of an eye, had started searching for Trinity's trail without so much as a moments break. Aletheia's impetuosity for her to get going was still very much looming on her, she didn't want to screw up once again.

The last time she screwed up, she cost an Assassin his will to live. Had taken away the love of his life, and the man he learned to love as his father.

Arno Dorian, the master Assassin from France, wouldn't have had his heart crushed into a million pieces, never to be restored again, if she had been at the right place at the right time. 

She had persuaded François De La Serre, the grandmaster Templar into adopting the distraught boy. She had done that out of the good in her own heart, had known it was a chancy thing to do, but she just couldn't let Arno be sentenced to a hollowed life.

She didn't want him living wondering when he would truly start living. Wealth and fortune didn't always warrant a good life, she wanted him to stay away from the Templar-Assassin strife so he could know a life of peace and quiet.

But destiny never worked out the way she wanted it to, always ending up perverted in one way or another, no matter how much she may have prayed or tried otherwise. 

It was one of the many reasons she didn't want to believe in the Gods, despite having met them. Sure, they may be creatures of incredible power and strength beyond human imagination, but calling them Gods, omnipotent beings that cared for mankind? 

No, that they were not. And nobody could convince her otherwise.

  
" Thank you very much. I'm grateful to you for your time sir. " she stood up from the chair, gave the old man in front of her a genteel smile before walking away.

She was in a remote city right now, one that had a few excavations going on as of the moment. She had a hunch they could involve Trinity but it wasn't where the Malákas were at. 

But thanks to the man she had been chatting with for close to an hour, she knew where to find them now. He had told her about strange armed men, the kind that brings trouble, stationed in a village called Kuwaq Yaku a few miles away.

She looked at her watch, happy to see she still had four hours before Lara would be here in Peru. That was enough time for her to go there and assess the area, evaluate the approach needed to quickly get ahead of Trinity. 

The dense forest surrounding the city, or village? (she still wasn't sure what to call it) looked like the perfect place to teleport from.

"Aletheia, I'm off now. If there's any way you can help, I'd really appreciate that. " She said hopefully as she marched in the forest's direction, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath once she was surrounded by the vast swath of the forest, ready to actually begin the quest for the Silver Box. 

Aletheia responded, striking her dumb. It wasn't often this happened.

" Of course, Keeper. I'll let you know anything that may help you."

"Thank you. " Kassandra spoke after a short pause and smiled softly, the gratitude lacing her voice evident.

With that, she opened her eyes that shone a clear amber in the sunlight, and looked around herself for signs of any disturbance. Once she was sure there wasn't anyone around, she did what she had to.

The moment she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the village anymore.

Instead, she was in another settlement that kind of looked like a slightly better version of the village from before. She couldn't help but wonder whether this unassuming little village really was the centre of Trinity's attention lately. 

" I really hope I didn't get played by an old geezer. " She murmured to herself worryingly, her eyebrows knitted as she took the area in. 

" Fuck it, I'll go and find out myself. " She shrugged off feelings of doubt, her fingers crossed as she walked into the city's hub, passing by a small bar on her way.

It wasn't overly crowded as she noticed. Just a man in a checkered shirt playing his guitar in the far corner, two groups of middle-aged men seated on the two tables to her right, and a handful of kids running around. 

The people here looked in better shape than the ones from the previous settlement, she figured.

She took small steps, chewing on her bottom lip, intent on entering the village before she got stopped by a girl wearing a baseball cap.

" Any way I can help you? Did you get lost or something? "

" No I'm not lost, I– " Kassandra gave her a bemused smile, her brain short-circuiting. She had to think of something. Quickly.

Who exactly was she?

Hmm, tourist? Uh, no. No tourist would be wandering about in the forest by themselves.

How about explorer? She considered the option for a beat, but ended up discarding the idea right away. What sort of explorer would she explain herself to be? The kind that skins you alive and feeds you to their pet alligator? And besides, the girl didn't look dumb enough to take that for an answer.

What about….archeologist? Now that could pass off as a credible answer. Lara would be here in a few hours, two archeologists would definitely make sense.

She cleared her throat before speaking again, " I'm an archeologist. I had heard there was some kind of excavation going on here. "

" Oh.. " the girl took a step back, an obvious frown on her face, " So you're with them, huh? They're— "

" I'm not with them. " Kassandra shook her head, she wasn't with Trinity damn it, " I mean you no harm. "

The girl didn't seem convinced enough but the stiffness radiating around her had dulled down by a snippet. She examined Kassandra from head to toe, still finding it difficult to believe she wasn't some hired muscle.

" You look like a mercenary though. No offence." she gesticulated with her right hand towards the other woman, her eyes trained on her toned frame.

_Really, now?_

If being clad in a fairly loose grey cotton shirt, black jeans and combat boots of the like made her look intimidating, she could only imagine how the girl would have reacted had she been dressed in her mercenary attire from two millenia before.

" None taken. I get that often. " Kassandra gave her the fakest smile she could muster, trying to control her raging inner Spartan. _Not my fault I'm well-endowed vertically ,_ she thought bitterly.

" You'll be staying here, I take it? " She raised her eyebrows, both her hands resting on her hips.

Kassandra nodded quickly, her lips pursed as she scratched the base of her neck, trying to get in touch with Aletheia internally.

_Aletheia?_

She waited for a few seconds, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Looking at the girl in front of her indifferently.

_I need confirmation, is this really the place?_

_Yes. Be on your guard, Keeper._

_Understood._

" I'm Abby. " She extended her hand after a few moments of silence. 

" Kassandra. " She shook the other woman's hand firmly, giving her a tight-lipped smile.

" I'll get you a room. Whatever you need, just ask away. "

" I'll keep that in mind. Thank you. " Kassandra turned away, partially opening her lips and letting out a small relieved sigh, now ready to investigate the area to her heart's content. 

She walked away from the bar, taking a good look around herself, her gaze taking in all sorts of spectacles.

From a middle-aged man sitting near the harbor trying to catch fish, to a child trying to convince his friend to give up his toy as part of a bet, a young man mumbling to himself about something seated on the wooden bench in front of her, and then finally a small girl running towards her with flowers in her hands.

She was running with all the zeal of a seven year old, giving Kassandra second-hand anxiety. The platform was somewhat wet and slippery, she'd get a scratch or two if she lost her footing.

_Don't trip kid!_

She watched helplessly as the girl with chocolate brown hair misstepped, tripping over herself and accidentally slamming her face against Kassandra's leg, dropping her flowers in the process.

"Oww! Mommy! "

" Hey!! Are you okay?! "

Kassandra crouched immediately, helping the girl up and brushing her hair out of her face. She looked all over her for signs of any bruise or anything akin, the only injury being her slightly scratched cheek.

She could see tears welling up in the girl's eyes, she slid her tongue over her dry lips before carefully asking the girl as she rested her hand on her shoulder,

" Are you hurt? Does it hurt anywhere? "

" N-no, " she sniffed, rubbing her eyes with both her hands, " I'm okay. "

" Sure? " Kassandra gently caressed her bruised cheek with the with her fingers before she noticed the girl's flowers. White roses, to be exact. She picked them up, handing them to her.

" Here. Your flowers. " The pure smile springing it's way on her face made her feel twenty thousand years younger. It had been quite a long time since she had smiled like that, the last time being when she was offered water by a homeless kid in Syria fifty years ago. 

The girl took flowers from her hand, flashed her the cutest smile she had seen on a seven year old, and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek before resuming her enthusiastic run.

" Hey watch out, don't run! " Kassandra called after her as she watched her sprint towards who seemed like her mother.

She observed from a distance as the woman crouched down to the girl's height and picked her up in her arms, kissing her all over. She couldn't help but smile as she watched her mother gasp in surprise when she noticed her daughter had brought her flowers.

Beautiful flowers.

It made her smile, making her remember the way Myrrine used to sprinkle her with motherly kisses when she'd come home after having trained with Nikolaos for hours on end.

_My little lamb, I'm so proud of you._

The words still resonated in her head each time she witnessed such a scene. After all that had transpired, she found solace in believing, even if it were only for a fleeting moment, that her mater had been proud of her. 

The way she'd dote on her each time she successfully parried Nikolaos' attacks when she'd train, the prideful way she had looked at her when she'd unmasked the true face of Pausanias.

 _You've grown into a remarkable woman, Kassandra. I'm proud of who you've become_.

She got drawn out of her musings when she felt a gentle tap on her thigh. She looked down to see that same girl from before, with a bar of chocolate in her other hand. Kassandra hadn't realized she had zoned out, she bend down on her knee to hear the girl out.

" Hey ", she couldn't help but grin like an idiot as she looked in the girl's honey-colored eyes.

" Thank you for helping me. Mom says I should be nice to people who are nice to me. "

" Oh really? " She glanced up at her mother who was standing some distance away. She gave her a nod in silent acknowledgement, getting a heartfelt smile in response from the other woman, before focusing her attention on the girl again, " You're very welcome, by the way. " She gave her hair a tousle and a quick peck on her forehead as she stood up.

The girl had already taken a few steps in the opposite direction before she stopped and turned around, " Will you be staying here? " she asked her out of curiosity, her voice shimmering with zest.

" Maybe, I'll be seeing you around kiddo. " 

Kassandra made sure to wave her goodbye before she pivotted on her feet, her mood up on the seventh heaven as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She looked down at her watch to see how long she had untill madame archeologist would arrive with her pet gobshite.

Well, not gobshite per se, just someone she wasn't really fond of.

That was enough to sour her mood a little, the gobshite part. She stretched out her arms, cranking her neck to the sides till she heard that satisfying 'pop' sound. Only half an hour had passed by, leaving her with considerable time to reconnoiter the area.

" Okay, " she murmured to herself, her gaze focused as she started walking into the city's hub. " Let's see what we got here. "

She squinted at the sky above. She pondered why it looked so….empty? If that even made sense.

It appeared as if it were waiting hopefully for a new beginning, if she were to say it in a more poetic way.

It ended up reminding her of one of the places closest to her hurt heart.

Chios.

The swift zephyr that followed the occurence of that very thought made her remember what she tried so hard not to, sending chills down her spine. 

The sky there had always reminded her of how even nature could scream for help just by stripping itself of vibrancy. 

How religious dogma could turn into injudicious fanaticism, destroying any hopes of rational logic flourishing.

How it shattered hearts that dare beat in spite of being tied down to principles that held no believability.

_You'd spit in the eye's of the Gods?!_

  
_Stop_ , she urged herself.

" Why can't I let myself feel good for once.. " she expressed her annoyance at her own self as she shut her eyes to chase away images of a certain daughter of Artemis, " Stop.. it happened a long time ago, stop… "

Her mind had other plans though.

All she could think about now, as she was walking around the village looking for signs of Trinity albeit nebulously, was how Daphnae's heart beat next to hers when she'd embrace her.

How her hand's fitted perfectly into her own as if they were created for that sole purpose.

How her kisses were always riddled with a hint of guilt and shame each time she pressed her lips against the mercenary who wore her heart on her sleeve.

Daphnae had talked about it on one occassion, to release her pent-up guilt. Kassandra still remembered it, almost too well.

* * *

  
_" W-w-what if Artemis doesn't– ," she had been crying incessantly having woken up from a nightmare, her sparkling brown eyes now red._

_From what she had told in bits and pieces, Kassandra had made it out to be something about her being stripped of her afterlife. That the heavens would never forgive her for having debased one of the Goddess' most cherished servants._

_That she was bound for the depths of Tartarus when she died, away from her beloved._

_Kassandra had taken her in her arms, sheltering her from every evil spirit and malicious eye that dare imagine hurting her._

_She left a trail of small kisses on her forehead, then onto her cheek as she soothed her phrenetic inner turmoil by humming her the same lullaby Myrrine had taught her for Alexios._

_" It's okay, Daphnae. It's okay, I'm here. " She said as softly as she could stopping mid-hum, hoping to whatever Gods that actually existed, that she would calm down. Her other half._

_Her Daphnae._

_" Shh, nobody could keep me away from you. " She looked at the woman in her arms with the prettiest of smiles, trying not to tear up herself as she felt a mewl rising in the back of her throat._

_"How am I supp–, supposed to– ", Daphnae couldn't imagine her life without Kassandra, let alone her entire afterlife._

_Before she could open her mouth to attempt another chance at talking, Kassandra gently pressed her finger against the other woman's lips. Daphnae's gaze went from the tips of her long, calloused finger to her eyes, bewitching hazel eyes that looked golden in the candlelight._

_They had been in Daphnae's hut in the huntress village on Chios, surrounded by the black of the night only pierced by the candle's luminescent light and the occassional distant sounds of woodland creatures._

_Everybody else was fast asleep. She had sneakily made her way into the village, surprising Daphnae with a spontaneous visit. She always scolded Kassandra for risking her safety like this, before taking hold of her and kissing her as if there was no tomorrow._

_" I wouldn't leave you alone even if you wanted me to. " Kassandra remarked playfully, hoping to ease Daphnae's tension._

_Daphnae reached out her hand, tucking the strand of hair that had cheated it's way out of her braid behind her ear, and what was that? A smile? A ghost of a smile, perhaps._

_" I'd rather die than ask that of you, beast slayer. "_

_Beast slayer._

_That's what she called her when she was being serious, honest. Something that immediately sobered up Kassandra each time._

_" I.. " She wasn't sure what to say._

_She wanted to tell her how much she loved her, how she would give up her life gladly if she so much as asked, how she would fight anything and anyone, even if it were a God, just to be with her._

_But such things weren't talked about, especially when they went against every religious tenet her love adhered to._

_She would tell her though, but now wasn't the time._

_" I just wan't you to know that, it was all just a dream. A really bad dream, that's all it was. " She said assuredly, looking the love of her life in her eyes, caressing her tear-streaked cheek with the back of her fingers and her other hand tracing Daphnae's back travelling from scar to scar. All of which she knew by touch._

_" And there's no chance in Tartarus I'm staying away from you. I like being around pretty girls who know how to fight. "_

_A playful smack on her shoulder followed by a small laugh probably meant the other woman was feeling better than before, even if the change were next to non-existent._

_Daphnae followed soon after with what Kassandra thought to be the real cause behind her nightmare, " I can't help but think if I'm being selfish. I pledged myself to the Goddess long ago… " she went silent for a moment, her bleak eye's wandering down to her hands, " but for you to suffer the wrath I deserve? I'd– "_

_" I'm okay with that. " She got cut short by Kassandra as she brought her closer to her body, tightening their embrace as she whispered in her ears, " I'd gladly sell my soul to Hades if it meant you'd be spared pain. "_

_The remainder of the night passed by without a single word spoken between them. Daphnae had fallen asleep, still trapped in Kassandra's arms as her fog of ghastly thoughts dissipated. But Kassandra hadn't been able to sleep, even after Morpheus had claimed the other woman._

_Her mind was a convulated commixture. On one hand she was getting butterflies just thinking about how much Daphnae loved her that mere dreams of them being apart scared her, and on the other hand, she blamed herself relentlessly for those said dreams._

_Daphnae wouldn't have had to endure it all, had they never crossed paths._

_But Kassandra loved her, and Daphnae loved her back with equal, if not more, passion and desire._

_They would find a way around, they had to because neither of them could continue to exist without the other._

* * *

  
Kassandra was certain she was in for another episode of night terrors as she became aware of the thoughts forming around in her cursed head. Might as well prepare for it.

" Fine, have it your way. " She accepted defeat as she groaned annoyingly, she was getting tired of her own self. Where the fuck was this heir of memories? About time they showed up and relieved her of her duties.

She was deep into the village now, surrounded by several huts painted in various shades of blue and green, and standing in the middle of god knows who's garden, unknowingly photobombing a couple of young boys.

" Hey! Get out of here! " A boy cried out, frustrated with her presence.

" Easy there, pal. I was just heading out anyway. " She scowled at the boy angrily, who -unfortunately- made the mistake of flipping her the bird. Whoops.

" Get out! "

" Listen to me, you– "

Before she could finish her sentence, an unusually strong gust of wind made her close her eyes momentarily. 

" Respect your elders, you understand that?! " She shouted indignantly when she opened her eyes, eager to teach the boy a lesson as she gave a once-over to the sky above.

 _Wait_.

She looked up again, her gaze concentrated this time. The skies had been clear just a minute ago, devoid of any clouds and air currents.

This was alarming, to say the least. 

She took a step back out of the garden, hearing distant cries, unable to make out the words.

Her face went pale and eye's frozen open as she heard an elderly woman scream,

" Help!! A storm!! Everybody get inside! "

" Damn it! " She mumbled distressedly, already running to the entrance of the village, shouting at every passerby at the top of her lungs.

" Go inside everyone! Hurry up! "

She ducked just at the right time to escape a piece of debris that came flying towards her, almost slapping against her shoulder in the process. 

" Abby! " She cried out, hoping to God Abby would hear her. Kassandra knew how to deal with this, she just needed somebody to help her.

It had started raining heavily, the deafening echoes of the thunderstorm almost ripping her eardrums apart as she lost her balance transiently, falling down on one of her knees. She got up just as quickly as she had fallen down, sprinting towards the bar.

" Abby! Abby! Where are you?! " She called out after her rapidly, not even taking the time to catch her breath, her eyes darting around in search of the woman.

Chaos had ensued in the last ten minutes, every human being in sight was either running frantically to save their family and their own hide, or clutching their valuables closely to their chests as they went deeper into the village looking for safe places to hide.

" Kassandra?! "

She turned around to see Abby running up the bridge's length connecting the two platforms on either side. 

" Tell everybody to go inside and stay away from running water and electricity! " She shouted anxiously and gestured with her hand for Abby to follow her quickly.

 _This can't be happening_ , was all she could think. The storm had arrived sooner than expected.  
  
Abby followed her hurriedly into a small cabin that looked sturdy enough to withstand the storm with a few children that had gotten separated from their parents. The storm was raging in all it's fury, the thunderous sounds of lightening enough to send down chills over the entire body, frightening the children in the process.

" Stay calm, It'll be over soon. " Kassandra told the cowering children around her to cool them off. " It happens sometimes okay? Don't worry it– "

She stopped midway her sentence to turn around and look, she thought she had heard someone calling out for help. She squinted her eyes, cocking her head in the direction she had heard a faint cry from. 

Her eyes widened when she realized, it was the small girl from before. The one with chocolate brown hair and honey-colored eyes.

" Damn it! Stay here! " 

" Where are you going? Are you insane?! " , Abby clutched her wrist to stop her from going on what she thought was a suicide mission. 

" You'll die! ", Abby couldn't wrap her head around why Kassandra would go out, her eye's filled with worry to the brim.

" Let go of me! " Kassandra snapped at her as she pulled her hand away from hers with enough force to make her take a step back.

She got out of the cabin in a frenzy, pushing the door open with all her strength. This had to be the worst storm she had ever seen in her life. Or at least one of them. 

Her hasty eyes widened as she saw a strong gust of wind carrying another piece of metal debris her way.

She rolled out of the way just in time, hitting her head hard on the ground as she struggled to keep her balance and her eyes open.

" Maláka! ", she growled as she tried standing up hurriedly, unsure who it was she could see from the corner of her eye. 

After a few failed attempts she got her eyes open, just enough to see what was in front of her. She saw the little girl from before crying out for help, standing beneath a small hut with a covering of a sheet of metal on top.

Kassandra considered teleporting for a flashing beat, but instead ran the fastest she ever had up until that point in her life. 

" Look out! "

She tackled the girl onto the ground in just enough time to take the brunt of the collapsing metal sheet, striking her hard in the head.

She could feel herself losing consciousness, unable to make out what she was hearing or seeing. Just muffled cries of the girl beneath her, cupping her mud-streaked face in her small hands, and hazy images of lightening striking down trees in the forest.

Honey-colored eyes were the last she saw before she blacked out.

* * *

_The house around her felt eerily familiar as she found herself standing in front of a fire place._

_She was watching in awe how bright, incandescent orange flames were burning indomitably. She could see a grand staircase from the corner of her eye, as she took a step back to turn around._

_" Checkmate. "_

_She heard a man giggle from behind her. She turned around inquisitively to see what the hubbub was all about._

_An old man was playing chess with a small girl who seemed like his ward. Both of them were seated on the chairs_ _to her far right, a game of chess placed on the table between them._

_" That's not fair uncle Winston. " The girl was clearly annoyed, having lost her third game against her caretaker, " You always win. "_

_The old man with kind blue eyes ceased his laughing to ease the upset little devil. " How many times have I told you? It's the journey that should matter, not the– "_

_" Destination, yes. But I will beat you one day, I'm telling you! "_

_Kassandra was smiling before she knew it. She slowly walked her way to the table, watching as they went for another round._

_She circled around them catching glances at the regal household, her attention still fixed on the little girl._

_Kassandra couldn't shrug away feelings of certitude from the back of her mind as her stare went from the little girls brown eyes to her nose, from her nose to her lips then back to her eyes again._

_She knew her._

_" I'm not playing! " The girl threw her hands up in the air, having admitted defeat._

_Kassandra came closer, pulling a chair away from underneath the table to sit down herself._

_They can't see me? , she wondered. She was perfectly alive and well, or perhaps they were choosing not to see her on purpose?_

_She closed her eyes, trying to recall what she was doing here and how she got here._

_She got drawn out of her musings once she felt a change in the atmosphere and timbre of the voices surrounding her. They had gotten more feminine, so to say._

_Goosebumps cracked all over her body as she popped open her confounded hazel eyes once she realized,_

_She was the one talking._

_" You're bad at chess, you know that right? " She saw herself talking haughtily, seated on the chair to her left with a glass of water in her hand._

_What the?!_

_Her gaping jaw accompanied with her widened eyes would surely have been visible to them, but it was like she was invisible. A veil stopping her from being seen._

_She looked different here, as if she were a few years younger. Or it could be the mirth etched in her face that made her look youthful._

_" Are you for real? You're the one who lost. "_

_Beads of sweat were forming on Kassandra's forehead. She swallowed one last time before turning her head away from her other self to look at the other woman, eager to see who it was._

_Her whole form went numb once she took in the woman in front of her._

_It was Lara. Lara Croft._

_" I let you win, you know that. "_

_Kassandra was frozen indefinitely in time. She didn't notice it but she was shaking all over, wasn't even paying attention to her other self. Her gaze refusing to come off of the young archeologist._

_" Shut up….maláka. " She saw in astonishment as the young woman flashed her a mischievious smile, winking in the process._

_She couldn't believe her eyes. What in the name of Zeus was happening?_

_She took turns looking at her self and Lara before it all faded into obscurity._

_Where was she and what the hell was this all?_

* * *

Furniture creaking under her weight, the sound of water beads dropping on the floor were the initial sensations her mind comprehended as she woke up.

Her head was spinning in circles, seeing spots like she had been riding a merry-go-round for the past hour and involved in a wrestling match with The Undertaker simultaneously.

She was in a small hut, she figured. One that had managed to come out unscathed in the aftermath of the thunderstorm. 

She took a gander at the hut around her, it was fairly small. Even smaller than her house on Mykonos.

A bed was placed on other side of the entryway and a small wooden table with three chairs in the middle, and a kitchen and bathroom at the far- right corner with just candles to illuminate in the darkness of the night.

She tried getting up but felt a soft pressure on her shoulder, she turned her head around to glance at who ever it was, managing to open her hazy eyes, her mind still fresh with her abstruse dream.

" Stay still. Don't move. "

" Who are you? " Her answer was no louder than a whisper. She felt herself drained of vitality, the pain around the back of her head was excruciating.

" I'm Cindy's mother, Julia. " The women answered her question with a polite smile.

" Cindy? " In her dizzy state, she couldn't help but wonder who Cindy was.

" That girl you saved. Thank you so much for saving my daughter. "

She turned her head around slowly to see Cindy had fallen asleep next to her on her bed, waiting for her to wake up. 

" She wanted to thank you but, "

" She fell asleep. " Kassandra finished for her, making an effort to smile. She gestured with her hand towards Julia as she turned around to look at her once more, " Help me get up. "

" Are you sure? You should rest. "

" I'm sure, help me up please. "

Julia held her by the shoulder as she sat up on the bed, taking her head in her hands, trying to expel perplexing phantasms she was caught in due to her dream.

She got out of her bed, almost faltering over herself before Julia caught her.

" You're still dizzy. "

" I'm okay. " She poked out her tongue to wet her lips before speaking again inquiringly, " How long was I out for? "

" More than a couple hours, you were gone so long we were beginning to worry. " 

Kassandra gave her a meek nod, still exerting herself to keep her eyes open as she tried standing up again. " You should rest. It's been a long day. "

" Wait, you shouldn't– "

She placed her hand on Julia's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, " I'm fine. "

She leaned down to place a kiss on Cindy's forehead and told Julia goodnight as she sluggishly walked out of the hut.

Her head had stopped spiralling around considerably now. She looked around herself in disbelief as she saw the destruction the thunderstorm had wreaked upon the village.

Only a handful of houses were intact, the rest had been destroyed or their roofs had caved in, trees had toppled over at the outskirts of the village. She hoped with all her heart there hadn't been any casualties.

" Hey, you're up. "

She pivotted on her feet to see it was Abby, whose face was shining with gratitude.

" I don't know what to say. Thank you for protecting Cindy. " She paused for a beat to clear her throat, " I mean, her mother and I are friends. She would have been devastated had something happened to her. So, uh yeah, thank you for what you did. "

" It was nothing. " Kassandra knew it really was nothing, she had been involved in far worse situations. " She's a sweet kid. " 

" Oh definitely. Can I get you something? Like a beer or anything? "

" No, no thank you. "

" You sure? "

" Yeah. Listen, " It took all her hope and determination to ask as her features went stiff, " Were there any casualties? "

She knew it was a bad idea to ask questions she didn't want answered.

" No. Thank god, no. "

She let out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes. Content that no villager had been harmed. 

She veered around, having decided to sit at the docks to contemplate her weird dream. She balled her hands into white-knuckled fists as she took a deep breath and started walking in the other direction.

" Where are you going? " Abby called out from behind, unsure what this woman was going to do with herself at near midnight.

" Nowhere" was all Kassandra said as she faded away from her line of sight into the distance.

….

  
She sat down near the harbor cross-legged, and bit her lips so hard she had drawn blood. Her eyes were moist with tears that felt foreign, her voice scratchy as she let out in a small whimper,

" What is happening to me, Aletheia? "

None of the like had happened before with her. She had never dreamed about people she'd just met, Lara was nothing but a pawn she was going to use in her scheme against Trinity. A tool she had no interest in.

Then why was her mind conjuring up all manners of pointless scenarios with the young woman in it? 

Sure, she had been vulnerable before in Cozumel, defenseless enough to have drawn comparisons between her and Daphnae but she was all over it by now.

She needed to know.  
  
Kassandra was beginning to think Lara was an inconvenience. Serious trouble she had brought on herself by her own free will.

" Aletheia.. " she called out, her chin trembling as she dared to contact her one last time, " Who is she? "

The lucent moon looked as placid and serene as ever, glowing in the star clustered sky as she waited, waited, and waited for an answer. Her empty gaze fixed on the horizon.

An hour had gone by. Aletheia still hadn't responded.

Kassandra gave up. She knew the Isu wouldn't answer, had known it all along but decided to try her luck nonetheless. 

_I'll find out myself_ , was all she could think to herself tempestuously.

She shut her somber eyes that had been staring at her feet, and took her head in her jaded hands. She tried desperately to make sense of it all on her own, but what logic would she find out of it? Out of dreaming hair-raising stuff about irrelevant people?

The night was going to be long, she knew it. And she was probably in for another installment of nightfall horrors were she to make the mistake of sleeping.

" I'd rather drown myself than sleep. " She wearily mumbled to herself. She was no fool, she wasn't going to let Morpheus ravage her mind again.

She closed her eyes, having figured meditating would be the appropriate way to spend the remnant of the night.

The appeasing resonance of the swiftly flowing river conjugated with the howling wind somehow soothed her mind as she took deep breaths in.

She was going to be okay, at least for the night.

...

Life had resumed it's routine in Kuwaq Yaku the next day. People mourned their losses, but ultimately thanked the heavens for having protected every living being in the village, animals included.

She had become something of a local heroine. Cindy and Julia had thanked her extravagantly, even offering her a precious family heirloom as compensation for her heroics.

She had refused their request politely, assuring them she did that knowing the repercussions and didn't deserve accolades for a gesture of good will like that, and excused herself to talk to Abby about more pressing matters.

Trinity.

To her surprise she knew nothing except that they were " hardcore mercenaries who looked like they eat shark intestines for breakfast ".

She did tell her where they were camped though. In an abandoned oil factory outside of the village.

Kassandra had figured it'd be too risky to go there by herself, it'd be better if she waited for Lara and Jonah. She had enlisted their help for a reason.

" I hope you're okay, and in Peru at least. " Her lips turned down as she muttered to herself, her eyebrows up in a knot as she stood near the entrance of the village.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't getting worried now, Lara was smart enough to have figured out by now it'd be Kuwaq Yaku where she'd square off with Trinity.

_Where are you Lara?_

She decided it'd be preferable to spend her time waiting for Lara, she couldn't focus in a fidgety frame of mind. She went back in, making her way towards Cindy's and Julia's house. It was the perfect oppurtunity for her to put her mind to rest.

" Hey Cindy. " She kneeled down to pull her in a warm hug, her own lips stretching into a smile as she let her go and stood up.

" How is your head now? Tell me! " Cindy asked her imperatively, holding her doll steadfastly in her other hand.

" It's better. Much better than before. " She gave her hair a ruffle, and came forward to speak with Julia. 

" I'm sorry if I offended you earlier with– "

" Oh no, no, not at all! " Julia shook her head in disagreement.

" Thank you. I'm not exactly great with words. " She turned her head down to look at her feet at the honesty of her statement, I really do suck with words.

" Now you're just being modest! " 

That made her perk up by a small trace as she lifted her head up, " I was waiting for my friend, so I decided to drop by. "

Her chat with Cindy and Julia went from one end of the spectrum to the other. Ranging from the day Cindy pricked her finger trying to weave a doll of her own, to learning her mother Julia liked to have her eggs with mustard. (She cringed internally, who eats eggs with mustard?! )

She liked Cindy, that was for sure.

Children were the only good left in this world, pure and innocent. Always speaking what's on their mind.

" What's that on your arm? " Cindy pointed at her arm with three discernible scars peaking from beneath her torn sleeve.

Scar number one, a bandit dagger scraping against her arm.

Scar number two, souvenir from an Alpha wolf that had attacked her as she trespassed his territory.

Scar number three was the most memorable though. One she always looked back on with fondness. 

She had come in the way of an attack meant for Anais, the sword barely missing an artery. They had been wandering around the outskirts of Sami when they got assaulted by two brawny marauders.

" Oh, these.. They, uh.. " She went silent for a good second or two, mulling over in her head to consider what to say. " Wolves did that to me. A really long while ago. " 

She was swallowing repeatedly, tugging at her earlobes. She wasn't lying. 

Just telling her half-truths.

" I bet you taught them a lesson! You look so strong, I want to be like you when I grow up! " Cindy looked at her with eyes that were bursting with as much hero-worship resplendence as possible.

Kassandra let out a heartily chuckle, " You may want to rethink that. " She got up from the edge of the bed and bowed her head out of courtesy, " I'll go and see if I can't find my friend. Thank you for having me. " 

" Bye bye! " Cindy waved her a spirited goodbye along with her mother, and watched as she got out of their humble dwelling into the scorching heat of the sun.

Kassandra's heart was beating fast, she was on pins and needles. It was near mid-day, Lara was supposed to be here by now.

And she knew for a fact that she was intelligent, far more perceptive than the average human.

She was walking back to Abby, her eyes fixed on the muddy ground and hands deep in her jeans pocket.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she got closer to the stairs leading up to the bar, scrunching her face as she heard a familiar voice and a familiar face.

" Why don't you rest for a while? " Lara said to Jonah, tapping him on the shoulder.

" Are you sure? " 

" I promised you a day off. " 

" I'm not gonna say no to that. " Jonah was exhausted, much like his friend. He could really use some rest, and…distraction. Pleasant distraction.

" Have fun. " She gave him a smile as she left him alone with Abby to take a look at the ruins she mentioned just a minute ago.

Once lady Croft set her mind to something, not a force in the world could take her hyper-active brain off of it. 

Her gaze was transfixed onto the far edge of the village, so much so she didn't even notice Kassandra as she passed by her lackadaisically. Not even looking at the woman's flabbergasted form, her ponytail getting in Kassandra's face due to a strong gust of wind coming by at the wrong? or right time.

Kassandra watched in disbelief as Lara strode her way away from her, the scent of her hair still lingering. But something caught her eye.

Lara's back.

Her blue vest was messed up in the most horrid of ways, three grisly looking scars slicing their way down. From the looks of it, either she had ran into Trinity or, gotten into a physical altercation with a wild animal. 

And her wound needed to be taken care off before infection set in. Properly.

She was chewing on her lips, nudging herself to quickly make a decision.

To either wait for the woman alongside her gobshite friend Jonah, or the painfully obvious.

She opted for the latter.

She took small steps in Lara's direction, following her close behind when she saw her stop at a merchants shop offering him coin for, what was that? 

Ah. bullets for her desert eagle.

 _Wait, merchants here peddle goods like that?_ , she thought.

" Thank you. " Lara said matter-of-factly to the merchant as she turned back.

That was when she saw hazel eyes ablaze with curiosity, staring at her.

" Kassandra? "

" Glad you finally noticed. " She couldn't stop a small giggle jumping out of her as she closed the distance between them. " What happened to your back? "

Lara noticed how her hazel eyes went from beaming with eagerness to a genuine show of concern.

" Oh, nothing. Just a regular day in the field. " Lara answered as offhandedly as she could even though her back still hurt, hoping to God the woman hadn't seen through her bullshit. 

Oh, but she had.

" Lies. Let me take a look at that. " Kassandra gestured with her hand for the young woman to follow her.

" Really, there's no need for it. " Lara's flimsy retort convinced her already indoctrinated mind.

" Yeah, right. Come on now. " She urged for the young woman to follow her, her determined tone a telltale sign she wasn't taking no for an answer.

Lara followed her into what seemed like someone's private residence.

" Whose place is this? " Lara asked her with a questioning look, unsure why Kassandra had just invaded some poor souls house.

" Easy. " She put her hand up in a pacifying gesture, " Just sit down and let me have a look at that. "

That got Lara uncomfortable. She tried her hardest to not let her disapproval show on her face. Her wound needed tending, that was for sure. 

But by Kassanrdra? That was enough to make her insides dolorous.

She was awkard enough around strangers, this'd be the icing on the cake.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes that had been directed on the woman's resolute form. 

She needed to find a way out of this situation before she could say Jack Robinson, that too without being rude or impolite. 

_Okay_ , she breathed out.

Time to scheme an escape plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided it'd be better to write from Kassandra's POV, detailing her side of the story in Kuwaq Yaku since we all know what happened with Lara and Jonah.
> 
> The chapter had gotten so long that I decided to cut a few parts, so sorry for lack of Lara here. Next chapter'll be full of Lady Croft and Miss Sparta's exploits :D
> 
> ::Edit:: Okay I don't know what the fuck just happened, but apparently an entire section of kassandra's dream was missing as I just noticed while proof reading. I fixed that, so sorry about the mishap. I should probably sleep more to function properly. ಥ⌣ಥ


	6. This Desert I Call Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! I noticed I almooooooost have two-thousand hits! That's an achievement for someone who hasn't written a line before in their life lol. Thanks!
> 
> I'm working on my vocabulary and grammar. I'm sorry if there's any typo or grammatical error down there, I have proof-read it about a million times but you can never be too careful.
> 
> Also, there's some violence in here. Nothing too much, but still there nonetheless.
> 
> *Lyssa is a primordial deity in Greek mythology, personifying or being the spirit of blind rage, or frenzy.
> 
> *Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and Styx are five rivers of the underworld. I could tell you more here but saying that they're all interconnected and serve different purposes for carrying dead souls to underworld is sufficient enough.

The washcloth in her hand was drenched in water with traces of blood visible, and another identical piece of cloth lying on the pavement near the archeologist's knee. 

Each swipe of the soaked fabric earned her a small wince from the young woman as she applied pressure on her grotesque wound.

Lara had protested incessantly for half a minute, not being subtle about her discomfort at being tended to by babbling about how it was nothing but a scrape and some gibberish about it having already healed. 

Kassandra did her best to not make faces at the young archeologist's absurd nonsense, she figured the woman wasn't comfortable with the idea of her wound getting dressed by her. That was plain as day to see.

Her scar wasn't bleeding profusely, but that didn't mean all was well and good, it needed to be dressed properly. 

Lara reluctantly admitted defeat when faced with the ' you'll die of infection ' card played by the other woman. She wasn't dying now, especially not because of an infection. She'd send Trinity cunts to hell first.

Kassandra dipped the washcloth again in another batch of clean water in a wooden bowl on her left, soaking it thoroughly and squeezing out the blood. 

Lara's scars were among some of the worst she had seen, protruding at the sides with small hints of fat showing from beneath. It was not life threateningly deep, but deep enough for infection to have a field day destroying her tissue.

Kassandra knew this had hurt. Terribly so. If it had been her, she would have been cursing every other second. But Lara, she was holding up well, putting on a believable show of apathy despite her fresh injuries.

Her eyes kept drifting from her back to the woman's frozen form as she cleaned the wound with the wet washcloth without reservation. Lara was uncomfortablely silent save for her pained groans, clutching herself at the sides in a firm grip. 

Kassandra wouldn't have done this if it weren't absolutely necessary. She knew Lara wasn't too happy, but she'd rather have one angry little archeologist than a dead one.

She could feel the young woman's uneasiness shooting out of her. Her relentless protests had almost convinced her she really was fine, but after having taken a closer look, she couldn't fathom how Lara had managed to keep a straight face all this time. 

" This might hurt a little.. " , Kassandra was still frowning at her back, her insides switching back and forth between feeling bad for the archeologist and gratitude for her being alive at the very least, " Just keep breathing, okay? " 

" Just do it. " Lara was angry and in pain beyond measure, her eyes jammed shut. She took no care in covering her frustration for the situation by letting her chagrin seep into her muffled voice. 

She didn't like it one bit. She would have been fine for God's sake, when has she been not?

Not taking her snappy comeback into account, Kassandra soaked the washcloth with the antiseptic liquid and lifted her hand up, taking in a deep breath herself and resting her features before she pressed it against the woman's injured back, " Don't say I didn't warn you. "

As soon as the liquid made contact with her swollen skin, Lara growled vehemently, baring her teeth like an injured lioness trapped in a snare. Beads of sweat were trickling down her forehead as she tried straightening her back and getting her breathing in control. Cuts and bruises, she was used to. But this was a new level of pain.

Kassandra, on the other hand, would have called it a blood-curdling scream if Lara's pitch was higher by just a few decibels. She was not ready for it, nearly having a heart attack herself. But it wasn't like she could fault the young woman for it, she was perfectly familiar herself with that agonizing sensation of irritated wounds.

" I'm sorry but I had to. " She spoke as receptively as she could, lifting her hand up with the bloody washcloth and moving it down her back as slowly as humanely possible. She opened her mouth again after a few seconds to say words of encouragement to the woman, but decided against it at the last minute. 

Nobody wants to talk when they're in excruciating pain.

Lara didn't even pay attention what Kassandra had just said, the pain of her freshly irritated skin denying her requiescence. She pulled away her hands from her forearms for fear of digging in too deep into her skin, and placed them down on the pavement as her body shook all over due to unbearable pain.

Her mind wasn't comprehending anything other than the searing torment she was in right now. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision blurred as tears threatened to fall. She closed her eyes dejectedly, trapping her lower lip between her teeth. 

The previously white washcloth was now a shade of red, cuing Kassandra to reach over for the other washcloth. She pressed the cloth against her back one last time and reached out to grab the other piece near Lara's knee.

Maybe she had miscalculated the pressure on her wound or perhaps had unknowingly scratched her nail against the young woman's sensitive skin, but her free hand was now suddenly caught in a death grip as soon as she had reached out to grab the fabric whilst stroking Lara's back, the archeologist's sweaty palm clasping the woman's hand immovably as she let out small, barely restrained moans of pain.

" Hey, just hold on. It'll be over soon. " , Kassandra let go of the cloth to momentarily place her hand on Lara's shoulder. 

She rubbed her thumb, free from Lara's hold, at the sides of her wrist, feeling sympathetic for the woman.

The soft touch on her skin felt soothing, an oppurtune distraction from the misery her mind was currently overrun with. She opened her eyes, and the sudden realization of what her hand was grasping hit Lara like a bag of bricks. 

She was holding Kassandra's hand while getting her wound cleaned like a wimp, so to say. Unable to bear the pain on her own.

_Wonderful. Is this how you're supposed to bring Trinity down?_

She let go of Kassandra's hand immediately as if forgetting she was supposed to be feeling insufferable pain, her sudden motion bewildering the other woman.

" Are you okay? " , Kassandra raised her eyebrows worriedly, not sure what just happened in Lara's befuddled mind, nibbling at her lips and waiting for an answer.

" I am, just… " She stopped for a second, taking in a deep breath and steadying herself, " Do it. " 

Her voice didn't hold any of it's previous petulance, but it wasn't palsy-walsy either. She was fighting back her impulse to just get up and storm out of the hut, that wouldn't be like her at all. 

Kassandra already knew Lara was likely to snap again if she pushed her for more, she let it slip by instead of prying. " I think we may have to suture it. ", she forewarned Lara as she subsequently grabbed the stainless washcloth from near the archeologist.

" We what? ", Lara's eye snapped open in a jiffy, her mouth agape as she turned back to look at Kassandra's face, she wasn't going to let the woman botch up her injury more than the Jaguar ever could have. " How're you going to stitch this all up if you aren't even– "

" Calm down, " Kassandra held up her hand, gesturing with her hand for the woman to listen , " I know how to suture wounds. I've done it before. " 

Lara hastily opened her mouth to squabble again but Kassandra beat her to it.

" And before you say anything, I keep a first aid kit with me all times. It won't hurt and it sure as Tartaros won't be improvised. " She let her hand fall down, finding herself caught in a staring contest with the archeologist.

Tartaros. The word might be archaic but it confirmed Lara's suspicion as she stared intently into the woman's eyes. This woman was Greek, her accent somewhat different but nonetheless, still recognizable.

Kassandra could see a scar on the young woman's cheek as her gaze drifted all over the archeologist, wondering how she didn't notice it the first time in Cozumel. But then again, she wasn't herself that God forsaken day. A few other cuts and bruises on her forearms made her wonder what kind of life Lara had lived, since she hadn't seen a bruised and battered archeologist like her before.

" Turn around. " , Kassandra took her eyes off of Lara, pondering over what kind of mess Lara has been involved in until now. 

She knew about her having been a survivor of The Endurance crew, barely making her way out of the island. It had been plastered all over newspapers around the globe, but other than that, she knew absolutely nothing about Lara save for the fact that she was accused of being a manslaughtering maniac in some newspapers.

 _I'm sure it must have been Trinity's work._

The occurence of that very thought surprised her. _Why am I thinking about it?_ , it wasn't her problem. Lara, however, was still not over any of it.

" I'm not letting you do anything to my back, do you understand? " She gave Kassandra the most menacing glare she could muster, hoping her refutation would get through once she looked up at her.

She was eagle-eyeing the woman immersed in preparing the washcloth, and speculating multitude of ways running in her mind like simulations, on how to make it the fuck out of this hut. She did notice Kassandra's ripped sleeves just below her right shoulder and across the forearm, but didn't take the time to focus on them and instead preferred scowling at her again.

" I didn't know people welcomed death like that these days. " Kassandra didn't think her answer through, cringing internally once she realized how insensitive it sounded as she fondled the cloth in her hands.

 _Maláka… I could have done better_ , she raised her head up, not expecting to be scowled at. " I didn't mean any offence. Turn around. " She held up the cloth in her hand for further emphasis.

Lara opened and closed her mouth not just once, but a couple times, absolutely stupefied. Words kept eluding her as she couldn't wrap her head around how Kassandra could be so nonchalant about her discomfort.

She had had enough of the patronizing. Civility and savoir-vivre was nothing but utter bollocks at this point, she was getting out of the hut. Now.

" I've had enough of it. " She got up in a bout of sheer frustration, still wearing her enraged glare on her face as she shoved her burning pain to the back of her head. She stood up, letting out a small grunt of pain as she straightened her back.

" Wait! I'm sorry I– " , Kassandra got up in a hurry as well, she wasn't sure what ticked Lara off, but she was certain it had something to do with her terrible joke. " I apologize for what I said earlier, it was– "

" Really? That's what you're apologizing for? " , Lara crossed her arms irately, she didn't waver for even a second as she continued, " Why are you even doing it? " , she pointed with her finger at the cloth, currently forgotten in the water bowl, " I didn't ask for you to do it, did I? "

" Lara, if you don't take care of it properly, infection will set in and the damage done could be irreversible. Fatal, even. " Kassandra tried explaining her point to Lara, keeping her distance from the young woman as she did so. This was nothing to get all worked up over, leaving Kassandra to come to the conclusion Lara really did not like to be touched or was self-conscious of her scars. Maybe both.

" And? What's it to– " 

" Kassandra! "

Lady Croft watched in pure confusion as she saw a small girl trot her way inside the hut. Her chocolate brown hair braided, mirroring the way Kassandra did her own.

" Look, I had my hair braided like yours! " , Cindy was bursting with enthusiasm, waiting for her idol to shower her with priestly adulation.

" Hey.. ", Kassandra crouched down to Cindy's height, desperately trying to hide her bloody hands behind her back, " You look wonderful. " 

The way Cindy was looking at her, an expression of pure reverence, Kassandra knew a simple 'you look wonderful' wouldn't suffice.

" I like that you braided it on the other side, it looks really beautiful like that. " She smiled half-heartedly at the girl, her mind still contemplating her position in the battle of wits against the archeologist.

" Thank you! " , Cindy reached forward to wrap her hands around Kassandra's neck, taking her in a hug. She had expected Kassandra to do the same, but much to her dismay, she didn't.

" Are you angry? ", she took a teeny step back to take a gander at Kassandra's crouched form.

" What? No, why did you say that? " , Kassandra couldn't figure out for the life of her why Cindy had just said that, staring at her with befuddled eyes.

" You didn't… ", she fell silent, gesticulating the obvious with her hand, her eyes downcast.

It took a painfully long minute for Kassandra to realize what Cindy was insinuating, " Oh. You see.. "

" What? "

" I, uh, my hands are a bit dirty and I wouldn't want your lovely dress to get all muddy. ", Kassandra really didn't want Cindy seeing her bloody hands, clenching them into fists. She knew how to deal with kids.

Cindy, being the ardent child she was, peered over Kassandra. Something akin to panic and distress passed in her eyes as she shouted anxiously, " Your hands! They are bleeding! "

Busted.

"No, no, no! " , her voice was a bit higher than she had intended it to be, she didn't want to scare the child more, " My friend, over there.. ", she motioned with her hand, bringing it from behind her back towards Lara's perplexed form, " She's hurt and I was just looking at her wounds. "

Cindy chanced a look at the archeologist, who stood there with her arms limply dangling at her sides with barely enough energy, " Is she okay? "

" No "

" Yes "

Kassandra turned around at the speed of light to see Lara had become more annoyed than before, and slowly making her way towards Cindy, trying her best to firmly plant her feet on the pavement, " I'm okay, I– "

" She's not. " , Kassandra cut Lara short before she even had the time to complete her sentence, " She won't listen to me. " 

" How many times do I have to tell you? ", Lara threw her hands up in the air, screwing up her face when the sudden movement of her muscles proved to be a vile idea, and placing her hands on her knees in a futile attempt to recover. " I'm fine.. "

" See? ", Kassandra knew if she touched Lara right now, she'd have hell to pay. Not that she was afraid of it by any means, but she didn't want more of pointless bickering. " Why don't you help her sit down so I can take a look at her? " , she shot Cindy a knowing look, hoping she would get the undertone.

Cindy obeyed her hero valiantly, taking two short steps to close the distance between her and Lara to grasp the young woman's hand, giving her a reassuring smile. " Come on. "

Lara closed her eyes momentarily. For reasons she couldn't imagine, Sam materialized in front of her eyes, scolding her without end. She knew Sam would have sided with Kassandra on this one, she wouldn't have let her go around with an open wound.

She'd have to set her boundries aside this one time.

" Fine… " 

Her sigh of defeat would have been music to Kassandra's ears under different circumstances, but this left her feeling maybe she was in the wrong. Nevertheless, she had the oppurtunity now. Best make use of it as soon as she could. 

" Sit down. " 

With Lara all ready and settled to go along with the agonizing ride, and Cindy in front of her since she didn't want to traumatize the poor kid for life, Kassandra didn't waste a second in bringing up the soaked fabric to her back, warning the woman once more. " If you want, you can hold Cindy's hand. "

" I said I'm fine. Just get it done and over with already. " 

After what she had just said, Lara realized she didn't want to be rude to the small girl in front of her, looking at her with curious eyes. " Why don't you talk me through it? ", she managed out with what remained of her strength, giving a colorless smile to her.

Cindy didn't answer right away, giving her a nod in acknowledgement, the curiosity in her eyes making Lara wonder something.

_Maybe this is how I made Winston feel all the time?_

" What is– " , she wasn't ready for her heart to drop at the touch of the washcloth, grimacing as she struggled to speak once more, " What is it? "

" Why are you upset? " , Cindy was a child. She didn't exactly mince her words the way adults did. If she wanted to know something, she asked it right away.

" I'm not. " , Lara knew lying had never been her forte. No human being with a sound mind would fall for it, she hadn't been able to lie since the beginning. The very obvious time being when Sam had asked her why she broke off her engagement with some whippersnapper.

_It didn't work out, Sam._

Her lying skills were piss poor. And indeed, Cindy didn't speak, not falling for what she had said. Nodding once again, not pushing her on for more.

Silence engulfed the trio for a while, only disturbed by the archeologist's groans and pained cries. Cindy looked like as if she was in a mental parley with herself over something, drawing Kassandra's attention.

" What is it, Cindy? " , Kassandra spoke from behind, her eyes full of desire to know what was happening in her mind, " Do you want to say something? "

Cindy bit her lip, still over the fence about whether she should say it or not. " Will you scold me if I do? "

" I won't. " , Kassandra gave the girl a smile, and tapped Lara on the shoulder, prompting the woman to look at her. " I'm going to suture it now, okay? Just keep breathing. "

" You're telling me like I have a choice. " , Lara knew arguing wouldn't get her anywhere. The battle was lost, no two ways about it. She had given up the menacing glare in favour of a withdrawn expression as she stared into Kassandra's eyes colored amber due to sunlight.

" Kassandra… " , Cindy's voice was barely a whisper, her eyebrows up in a knot as she dared to speak once more, " I thought you said she was your friend. "

Kassandra was taken aback. Lara wasn't her friend per se, sure, but she was still an acquaintance. " She is. " 

She tore her eyes from Lara to focus on Cindy who sat amidst the tension radiating from the two of them. " Why did you say that? " 

" She's upset with you. " , Cindy deadpanned, drawing out a small chuckle from Kassandra.

" I know. " She wanted to reach forward and comfort Cindy, but it would require her to take off her medical gloves she had just worn. Getting them back on would prove to be a hassle, not to mention she'd have to disinfect them again. " Friends can be upset with each other too. " 

" Well... " , Cindy shifted herself to sit a little closer to Lara, taking her hand in her lap, " She was very worried about you. You know, she didn't even have breakfast. "

Oh for Zeus' sake, why did Cindy have to say that? 

" She even told me she met you in Mexico! I have always wanted to go there. "

Lara smacked her lips, still grimacing as she tried tilting her head but was stopped midway by a soft pressure near her neck.

" Don't move. " , Kassandra was chewing on her lips, still contemplating whether to just use butterfly bandages and call it a day, or to go ahead and suture it properly. " You're doing great. " 

Kassandra would even have changed her expression to a gentle smile were she face to face with the young woman, even though Gods know she wasn't feeling anything at all.

" …Okay. " 

This was the first time Lara hadn't snap-answered the woman. She wasn't suddenly fond of her. Just a teeny bit muddled.

" I once had a fight with my friend, Isabelle, too. We didn't talk for a whole day. " , Cindy took her time, leisurely lecturing Lara. " But my mother, Julia, she told me it's okay to fight if you make up later! "

_It's okay to fight if you make up later. Sounds like something Sam would say._

Lara found herself smiling at that statement. She agreed with it, it was okay to fight if everyone knew it was all going to be okay in the aftermath. Like the way she and Sam reconciled their differences, their friendship refusing to falter.

" Your mother is right. " , Lara looked down at her lap, then back into Cindy's eyes, " I, too, fought with a friend once. I– "

Lara stopped talking straight away. She didn't know why she was spilling out her personal stories to a mere child she had just met, that too, with Kassandra listening. 

But the way Cindy was looking at her with yielding eyes made her give in.

" She and I made up later though. And it only strengthened our bond more. " 

She squeezed Cindy's hand, although she never knew how to interact with children, she considered this an achievement. Holding her own in a conversation with a child wasn't something to write home about, but it would be more than enough to bring out a smile on Sam's face when she'd tell her about it.

" Then why don't you and Kassandra make up? "

Kassandra opened her mouth to interject, but something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She turned her face away to look at the hut's entrance and saw Julia standing there with a basket of flowers in her hand, gesturing with her hand for Cindy to follow her.

" Cindy, come on. We have to go, hurry up now. "

" Okay ", Cindy got up from the floor, giving a quick peck on Lara's cheek. She came forth to do the same to Kassandra and placed both her hands on the woman's shoulders, " Don't fight. "

With that said, she took a step back and trotted her way back to her mother, waving goodbye to Kassandra and Lara.

" You guys can stay here for as long as you'd like, we'll be gone for a few days. Goodbye! "

" Goodbye. " 

Kassandra waved the mother-daughter duo goodbye as she watched them leave and disappear into the crowd.

" How do you know her? " , Lara was pretty darn curious to know how Kassandra knew Cindy. Save for their hair and eye color, they looked nothing alike, the possibility of them being related was next to zero. 

" Long story. " , Kassandra didn't need to tell unnecessary stories of her heroism to Lara. The only information she needed to relay to the woman would be related to their shared goal: Trinity.

" I'm out of anesthesia. It'll hurt but I promise I won't take long. "

Lara slid her tongue over her lips, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead, and taking in a deep breath, " I'm ready. "

...

  
After an hour of Lara groaning painfully, threads getting cut and needle piercing her swollen skin, her wound was finally taken care of, patched up like it should have been in the first place. Hopefully infection would be warded off now, all that Kassandra had to do was just put a dressing on it.

Lara took it better than she had thought, thanks in part to Cindy reminding her of Sam. It wasn't as bad as her mind had made it out to be all this time.

" That's the final knot. We just have to bandage it now. " 

Kassandra got up from the ground, dusting her clothes as she made her way to the pile of clothes resting on the bed nearby.

" What are you doing? " , Lara turned around, not understanding what Kassandra had cooked up in that mind of hers as she watched her grab a few shirts in her hand.

" Nothing. "

She walked back to Lara and bit the inside of her cheek as she spoke, " Once the bandage is done, I'll stop pestering you. Turn around please. " She sat down behind the archeologist, not thinking twice about what she had just said.

Lara's throat constricted as she heard those words, blinking rapidly and finding it unable to conjure up a response of any kind. She turned away from her wordlessly, her brows up in a crease. She hadn't meant for Kassandra to take it personally, she _herself_ was the problem. Not her.

Kassandra decided silence suited them better as she didn't try to break the ice as she normally would have, instead preferring the quiet of the room. 

She got up after she was done, offering a hand to Lara. She wasn't sure if she'd take it or not, but trying never hurt anyone.

Lara stared at it for a couple seconds, thinking about how ungrateful of a swine she had been all this time. All because of some pitty insecurities. 

She grabbed hold of it shortly after, getting up in one swift motion. 

She wanted to say something, anything, anything at all. But she didn't know what to do, what to say. What would she even say anyway?

_Thank you for not punching me?_

She looked up from her feet to see that Kassandra was already bound to head outside now that she had washed her hands thoroughly.

" Here's a few shirts and whatnot. Take what you like. " , she paused for a beat to fold her sleeves further up, the heat was getting to her now. " Although it'd be preferable if you rested for a day or two, but it's your call. "

She gave a once-over to the archeologist's stock-still form, forcing a smile as she went out. Away from Lara's sight at last.

It'd be an understatement to say that Lara was cursing herself. She had wanted to say something, to at least have the courtesy of thanking her, but being the stubborn archeologist she was, she decided otherwise.

She walked over to the edge of the bed, sitting down and sinking her head in her hands. Kassandra was nowhere to be seen, hopefully she didn't bump into Jonah. She didn't deserve to deal with two knuckleheads all in one day.

For someone who had attacked her the first time she met them, she felt strangely acquainted with Kassandra. She knew her from somewhere, something she couldn't shake off each time she laid her eyes on her. 

Siberia.

Her mind was blaring that like sirens in the distance, gradually becoming impossible to ignore. Maybe it was her mind playing tri–

" No. " , Lara's instincts had developed in these two years, she knew when something was off. " I'm not imagining any of it. "

Then came the important question, how was she supposed to ask Kassandra all of this without sounding like a complete fool? 

But first and foremost, an apology was due. She had to apologize for being a total ass, that was for sure. Lara shook her head, chasing away the myriad of thoughts and doubts and questions overwhelming her mind.

She got up from the bed, closing the door in order to change her torn vest, having decided on a beige collared shirt.

Once done, she headed out to find Jonah. 

She felt an unforeseen urge to confide in someone, she needed to get it off her chest. Perhaps even ask for a few bits of advice from her friend on how to cope with it all.

* * *

  
" Hey, mind if I join? "

" Lara? No, come. Have a seat. " 

She had treaded her way towards the bar, looking around to catch a glimpse of Kassandra who was nowhere to be found.

She had seen Jonah sitting there, chatting earnestly with Abby even after all this time.

Lara smiled half-heartedly at Jonah, playing with her hands as she heard them talk. She couldn't get her mind to focus on what it was they were talking about, her mind refusing to cooperate.

" I hate to interrupt but, " she looked over to Abby who didn't seem offended in the slightest, " can I talk to you, Jonah? "

" Sure. What's it about? "

They both got up, excusing themselves, and headed over to the docks.

Lara spoke hesitantly once they were at a distance from Abby, " Jonah... I messed up. "

" Don't tell me you killed her. "

Lara looked up from her hands, staring at Jonah with wide eyes, " How'd you know she was here? "

Jonah's features fell as he sat down, his feet dangling off the edge of the pier. He gestured with his hand for Lara to follow suit, " sit. "

" What is it? Is she… ? " , Lara inquired hastily as she sat down, the soft breeze pushing her bangs out of her face.

Was Kassandra really a Trinity spy?

" I think we " , he stopped for a moment to clear his throat, " I mean I, might have been wrong about her. "

" What do you mean? " , Lara was getting impatient, severly impatient. " Enough of the riddles, Jonah. What is it? "

Half an hour went by as Jonah recounted everything that had happened a day ago before they arrived in Kuwaq Yaku, told Lara about how the storm had wreaked havoc, not leaving out the bit about Kassandra almost getting killed. All because she had decided to save a child.

" She could have died. " , Jonah uttered it to the horizon, stuck at a cross-road himself. " Anyway, what's bothering you, little bird? "

" Same person but for a different reason. " Her voice was unusually low as she shifted herself to sit closer to Jonah, resting her head on his shoulder. " I was unnecesarily rude to her. She even patched up my wound, can you imagine that Jonah? ", she pulled her head away from his shoulder to look him square in the eye, " And I continued being rude to her. All because I don't like people breaching my boundries. "

Jonah wanted to say something, but decided it'd be better if he didn't cut Lara short. She needed someone to hear, and he would do just that.

" She wasn't touching me just for the sake of it. She was doing it because it was the right thing to do, and I didn't even thank her for being kind enough to do it. She could have just left. "

" But she didn't. " , Jonah looked at Lara, smiling at her as he put his arm around her. 

" She didn't.. " , Lara leaned into his shoulder, closing her eyes. " I… I just don't like it when.. "

" It's understandable, Lara. " Jonah interjected, hoping to lift up his friends mood, " You don't have to overthink it. Just apologize to her if it keeps nagging you, okay? "

" I will. " , Lara looked up to smile at him, her eyes shining with gratitude. 

_I'm not going to lose you too, Jonah_.

" I'm still not letting her off the hook, but I'll be more cordial from now on. " , he gave her a tight squeeze, drawing out a chuckle from her.

" You're suffocating me! "

" Yeah, well, that's the point. "

" Jonah! "

She may not have been rid of her poor frame of mind, but at least she had her friend by her side. The cook from Endurance, who refused to leave her side even after all that had transpired. She must have done something in her past life to deserve a fiercely loyal friend as him.

Both of them ended up taking in the horizon, wrapped in comfortable silence. 

Lara had made up her mind, she remembered seeing a bruise near Kassandra's shoulder. After what she had learned from Jonah, she was certain the bruise was something that pertained to her saving Cindy a day ago.

The least she could do was offer to bandage it like Kassandra had for her, they'd be even then.

* * *

  
Night had fallen, with still no sign of Kassandra.

Jonah and Lara decided to put their research on hold for a few days, after mutual understanding, to allow Lara enough time to recover from her still new injury. 

Lara agreed to play a passive role till her wound got better, leaving Jonah and Kassandra to work together for as long as she could patiently sustain.

She decided to step out from the room she and Jonah had rented from Abby to find out where Kassandra was. It was late, and she had been missing for the entirety of the day.

" Where are you? " , she muttered to herself as she walked from one end of the jetty to the other, stopping for a split-second to look at her reflection in the water.

Her mind was taken back to the first time she'd ever had to sleep knowing she wasn't going to see or hear her father when she woke up.

She had been staring at her reflection in the bathtub, thinking how her last conversation with her father had been a fight. How she had stormed out of the room, wanting her dad to _be_ her dad. How she had unlocked the secret of the white queen in a desperate attempt to forget what happened between them, marvelling at what she saw inside. 

Paintings, made by her mother.

She had been looking all over, a sudden flood of emotions drowning her when she had heard the gunshot. 

Lara shook her head, drawing herself out of her musings. It was the reason she always avoided looking at herself in watery reflections, since they always managed to bring her back to something she didn't want to remember every time she was surrounded by a body of water.

She didn't see herself each time she had dared to look at herself. She saw _her_.

The brave adventurer she used to be, living inside the desert she called home. With no one to call family other than Winston, she didn't know what she was going to do if she was left alive at the end of it all. 

Even with the manor all renovated, it still lacked human warmth. She didn't want to come home to stone walls and a tired, old butler who didn't deserve the brunt of her foul moods.

She sat down at the far end, taking glimpses at herself in the reflection below, the zephyr playing with her hair when she fixated her empty gaze onto the other end of the pier. 

Her eyes came into focus once she became aware someone was sitting there.

She squinted with her eyes, trying to make out who it was. It was half past eleven, she didn't think she'd see a villager out so late. 

She realized then, it wasn't some villager. It was Kassandra. Her skin was glowing a funny xanthous under the moonlight, making her appear ethereal. 

_I have to stop imagining things._

She got up from her end of the pier, and carefully treaded her way towards Kassandra, not trying to reap a jump scare from her. 

She stopped just a step behind, putting her hand on Kassandra's shoulder. 

" Hey. "

Her action seemed to jolt Kassandra, who looked dazed as she turned around, " I didn't mean to scare you. "

" It's fine, I just wasn't expecting you. " Kassandra smiled at Lara nervously, tugging at her earlobes.

_Maláka, did she see me appear out of thin air?!_

Kassandra had been away, somewhere she hadn't meant to go antecedently. Trinity was being their usual feeble-minded and clueless self, she was sure she was ahead of them now. They may have gotten the dagger first, but they'd have to go through her to get the box. Hunting them right now was proving to be no fun.

Instead, she decided it'd be nice if she did some background work on her ally.

Was it a tad bit unprofessional? Absolutely. But it was necessary.

" What are you doing up so late? " , Kassandra didn't want to look her in the eyes, given their earlier fall-out. She had gotten the impression the archeologist wasn't too fond of her.

Lara swallowed hard, and sat down near her. " Fresh air does wonders, you know. "

" Oh. " , she'd have talked more, but she wasn't feeling any of it. " I hope you get well soon. "

Kassandra's mind was wandering from one irrational thought to another, letting reticence stretch over them.

She had thought about how she'd approach Lara around this, but considering what had happened between the two of them, she figured her question would remain unanswered for an indefinite period of time. She'd never get to ask her if they had met before.

Lara kept biting her lips and preparing an apology mentally, hurrying as she did so. She didn't want Kassandra getting up and running away before she even had the chance to say something.

" I guess I'll go now, good night. "

_Was this woman a mind reader or something?_

" Wait! " , Lara almost shouted in haste, making Kassandra widen her eyes. " Wait. "

She turned her face away, afraid her embarrassment would show on her face.

" O-kay? " , Kassandra was beyond confused, not sure what had gotten into the young woman.

She didn't speak for a few seconds, waiting patiently for Lara to say something.

" I'm sorry. " 

Lara pierced the silence by telling her exactly what she wanted to. That she was wrong and owed her an apology at the very least.

" I was rude to you, unnecessarily. " Lara gathered enough courage to raise her head and look her in the eyes, " and you still dressed my wound. "

" No problem. " Kassandra mustered up a small smile, tearing her gaze away from Lara to her hands. " Don't think too much about it, it's fine. "

" I don't want to come across as a prig. I really am sorry. " , Lara took the chance to pay attention to Kassandra's bruise near her shoulder, looking at the three scars across her arm as well.

The bruise wasn't that bad in itself, but it was definitely more than just a scratch.

" Your shoulder. " She pointed with her finger towards Kassandra, watching in awe as she saw the woman awkwardly adjust her sleeves so her scars wouldn't show.

" It's nothing. I've had worse. " 

_I gathered as much_. " Still, at least put a band-aid on it. "

" I don't have one right now. " She pulled out her empty jeans for attestation, " But I'll do it tomorrow. "

" Let me. " , Lara held up her hand, since she had made up her mind a long while ago about this, she wasn't going to reverse her decision now. 

" That's really kind of you but I'd hate to trouble you again. "

" I insist. " Lara placed her hand on Kassandra's lap while making steady eye contact with her, " please, it's the least I can do. "

" Well, if you insist.. ", she didn't want to offend the young woman again. Best let her do what she wanted to.

Five minutes was all it took for Lara to bandage Kassandra's shoulder. Upon closer inspection, she found out it wasn't just a bruise but a shallow laceration. Her thoughts kept drifting to the three scars she saw on Kassandra's arm, wondering how she had got them.

Now wasn't the time to ask her about it. Some other day, maybe.

" I've been meaning to ask you something.. " , Lara knew she couldn't go on without asking this, it wasn't an absurd question if she worded it properly, " have we met before? "

A quizzical smile appeared on her face, oblivious to what Lara was getting at. " We have? I tried to kill you, if I remember correctly. "

Lara burst out laughing, the way Kassandra had blurted that out got to her. " No, I mean before that. Have we met somewhere else? "

 _What in the name of Hades?_ Kassandra was sure she was looking at Lara like a deer in headlights, staring at her with bemused eyes.

" Uh, no. No, I don't think so. " 

" I figured. " , Lara started rubbing her palms together. A coping mechanism. " It's probably my mind playing tricks on me, then. " 

That sounded like defeated snivelling to Kassandra's ears. The archeologist was pretty sure the other woman would say that they had, in fact, met somewhere before. But much to her disappointment, it proved to be a trick of her conscience.

" It's what they call Déjà vu. " , Kassandra had thought all along that maybe she, too, had seen Lara somewhere but alas, it wasn't the case. No point in asking her now that the genie was out of the bottle.

" Maybe. " Lara sank her head, she refused to believe she hadn't seen her before but everything else was telling her otherwise. Probably better to just let go of it and focus on her goal. " I've decided to put a brake on physical activity for some time, so it's going to be just you and Jonah. "

" Are you sure? " , Kassandra shifted herself so that instead of turning her head each time, she'd be facing Lara. " Just a day or two will be fine for your stitches to set in place. "

" I'll see about that. In the meantime, gather as much information as you can. " , Lara brushed her bangs out of her face, revealing her scar, " Whatever you do, don't engage in combat with Trinity . "

" Why not? ", Kassandra didn't see why she couldn't just go and blast all of them malákes to hell. It'd make their job easier.

" They're mine. That's why. "

Kassandra found it hard to believe it was the same woman she had been talking to a second ago, staring at her with curious eyes. The way Lara said it, the way her brown eyes were suddenly burning crimson with resentment and ire.

It reminded her of her own wrath on her way back to Delphi.

The way she had almost strangled Aspasia's sweet neck with her own two hands, her spear lying discarded on the ground below. 

_" Listen to me, Kassandra! " , Aspasia had put up her hands, blood gushing out of her mouth as she lay defeated on the ground. She wasn't a match for the legendary eagle bearer consumed by blistering vengeance. " It's not what you think it is. Please! Listen to me! "_

_" I've had enough of your lies. " Kassandra knew the Ghost was a fucking liar, an abomination who deserved nothing less than wandering across the Styx forever searching for requiescence. She wouldn't fall for it. Never again. Consequences be damned_.

 _" I've had enough of you killing my family. " Blood was dripping from her hands, the evil in her eyes foreign_. 

_She had beaten, thrashed Aspasia in a manner she had never done before. Flailing her from one place to another, giving in to the impetus to murder her in coldblood_.

_Not even listening to her excuses, convinced she deserved death._

_" I've had enough of you! "_

_Kassandra was consumed by Lyssa as she went berserk, picked Aspasia up by her hair and pushed her up against the wall, punching her face again, and again, and again._

_" This is for Phoibe! "_

_More._

_" This is for Brasidas! "_

_I need more._

_" This is for my mater and Alexios! "_

_Aspasia was losing consciousness, struggling to stay alive. Her mouth hanging open as she let out small whimpers_.

_" Don't you dare die yet! " , Kassandra smacked her face, holding it tightly between her hands as she forcibly made Aspasia look at her, " Look at me. Look at me. "_

_Aspasia managed to crack open her eyes, her left eye having lost it's vision and looked at the lioness getting ready to devour her prey._

_" Look at what I've become. Dread. Deino. "_

_Her scream was ear-splitting as she landed one final punch on her face, wanting to split open her skull. The lair would have collapsed down on them if her yell had been a decibel higher_.

 _Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, Styx_.

_She wouldn't let her cross any of it. Aspasia deserved to wander in the chasm of death for a hundred years, lost in the abyss of murk she chose for herself the moment she decided to make her life a living hell._

_Aspasia fell to the ground with a thud, her face barely recognizable, her mouth missing a few of her teeth. She could see Charon standing there through her blurry vision, holding his black pole. Staring with his crimson eyes into her soul._

_Her time had come, the eagle bearer had emerged victorious. Had ravaged her the way Deimos had Epiktetos._

_" Kas.. " , Aspasia_ _was sure she'd die any minute now, " Kassan.. "_

_" Shut the fuck up! "_

_Her howls of ire had now morphed into sobs of frailty. She fell to her knees, sinking her head into her stained hands and wailing desolately. Her hands smelled of wretched blood, blood that stinked of rancor and avariciousness._

_She eyed her spear lying near her, ripe for the picking. She stood up without so much as a second thought and grabbed her spear._

_Now was the moment of truth. Every fibre of her being wanted to plunge that spear deep into Aspasia's heart, wanted to watch her bleed to death out into the pavement._

_But once she turned to look at Aspasia, she was already gone._

_Dead._

_Cruel fate didn't even let her deal the killing blow, all her life she had never wanted to kill someone like the way she did with Aspasia._

_Destiny robbed her of the chance, robbed her of everything, and everyone._

" I don't think that's a good idea. " It was true, blind rage wouldn't help Lara get over her losses. She knew this by experience.

Lara didn't respond, letting the silence speak for itself. She wasn't done with Trinity, they would pay. She was obsessed with eradicating Trinity, and she would stop at nothing or let anything stand in her way.

Not having gotten a reply, Kassandra let herself go astray with her thoughts too as she sat there with Lara.

Both of them lost in worlds of their own making, differing in many aspects but identical in breed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked my ass off on this one. Stayed up late reading Greek mythology more than I ever have and I kind of think my writing skills have gotten better. A few notes here cos they're necessary.
> 
> 1) Kass is hella mad at Aspasia, and grieve-stricken over her mater and Alexios' death. She's been a mercenary her entire life, so it'd be a reasonable reaction from her side to someone who had played with her life like a fiddle.
> 
> 2) If I remember correctly, Lara was engaged to a count or something briefly in the original timeline. I used that to my advantage since I'm gonna be taking bits and pieces of her every incarnation till date to try and incorporate it smoothly into my story. A few liberties here and there, nothing too serious since survivor trilogy kind of serves as her origin story.
> 
> 3) Deino (meaning "terrible" or simply "dread" ) is the name of a Graeae which translates to 'grey ones' or 'grey witches' along with Pemphredo and Enyo. They're sisters to the Gorgons, which I assume you guys already know from the tale of Perseus. Perseus forced them to tell the whereabouts of the three objects needed to kill Medusa, if you're familiar with the myth. It's pretty fascinating, really. The reason Kassandra calls herself Deino is because:
> 
> A) It's mostly used for fearfully large animals.
> 
> B) The Graeae share one eye and one tooth amongst themselves, taking turns using it. Kassandra renders Aspasia blind in her eye and breaks several of her teeth, metaphorically ridding Aspasia of her ability to see the future and speak of it. So in a sense, she becomes the sole keeper of 'the eye' and 'the tooth' , becoming the only one in control of her own destiny, not having to share it anymore because all this time Aspasia had been the one using it, gaining an upper hand in the process.
> 
> I hope that isn't too confusing to understand lol. It's a bit tricky but makes a whole lot of sense once you understand it. This story is much more than what it seems right now, I can't wait till I get to one specific point.
> 
> Also, stay safe y'all. Quarantine may suck but the virus sucks even more.


	7. Not Only Eagles Dare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all, I am sorry for updating late. University assignments were giving me hell, and the last of us 2 sent me into a pool of depression I have yet to recover from :') Almost 3000 hits and 150 kudos, thank you so much for this and for giving me feedback the way you did last chapter. It was amazing, and certainly gave me a confidence boost.
> 
> This chapter is long. Like really, really long. Almost 30K words, because it explains pretty much why all this shit is happening with Kassandra, and well, just read it and you'll know :) I hadn't originally planned it but the idea just popped into my mind and it was too good to just let go. It was necessary too, if I wanted this story to make sense.
> 
> Here are a few notes;
> 
> Lorica Hamata was a type of chain mail armor used by Romans during the days of Roman Republic.
> 
> Balteus was a military belt, used to hang swords or any other relevant piece of military equipment.
> 
> Gladius is latin for sword, it was a short sword typically of the length 18-24 inch used by the Romans. ( Plural: Gladii )
> 
> Galea is latin for helmet.
> 
> Frater meus/Soror meus is latin for my brother and my sister respectively. My latin is practically nonexistent so my apologies if it isn't on point.
> 
> Ludus here means a gladiator training school basically. ( Plural: ludii )
> 
> Denarius was an ancient Roman silver coin, originally equal to ten asses.
> 
> Spartacus likely meant 'spear bearer' in ancient Thrakian language.
> 
> There's violence here, pretty heavy/dark themes so you've been warned.

73 BCE.

The year Aletheia had foretold the spear bearer would arise, an anomaly she hadn't accounted for. He was to be an Isu descendent with enough tenacity to threaten the very foundations of Roman oligarchy, and to stand side by side with the eagle bearer of legend destiny had chosen as the keeper. He was supposed to have been the rightful inheritor of the divine source, an artifact that would have granted him immortality.

But he changed all that was written in the lexicon of time when he took the reins of his life in his own hands. 

It was the summer of 73 BCE when she first saw him.

  
" Cicero! Cicero! Cicero! "

  
The frenzied crowd was chanting the gladiator's name wildly, watching in awe as he stepped out into the arena, dressed in gladiator attire and wielding his spear, his head protected by an adorned galea underneath the scorching heat of the sun.

Madness took the crowd over as they saw him dodge the lion's fangs cleverly, rolling over to his side and striking the beast with his spear in one swift motion, killing it mercilessly. His adorned galea fell off in his attempt to gain his balance.

" That's Cicero for you! Always guts them beasts! " said an onlooker, visibly amused with the death of a beast, purely for his entertainment.

" That's the third time I've lost my bet against you. " The man seated next to him didn't share his sentiments, quite annoyed at having lost a bet.

Kassandra was sure she'd wipe off the coliseum off of the face of earth if she remained here a moment longer. The conversation she just overheard between these malákes was enough to make her blood boil. They took pleasure in a man risking his life for _their_ entertainment. And made bets on top of that, on a human being just like themselves, but a human just not fortunate enough to escape his destiny.

She hated Romans with every fibre of her being, they had made slaves of her people, destroyed their culture and enjoyed watching men slaughtering each other like pigs. She couldn't even understand why certain seats inside the colisseum were reserved for specific people, why there were more slaves than free people in Rome. 

Barbarians, the lot of them.

She got up, obscuring the view for some, getting insults hurled at her in the process. 

" Oi! Step aside wench! "

" Get out of the way! "

It took all her inner strength to not get herself involved in an argument as she pursed her lips tightly, and turned around with a phony smile. These lowlifes weren't worth her time, she was here for a different reason.

" Apologies. I was just going out anyway. "

She slithered past the degenerate crowd, making way for the exit of the coliseum. And now that she stood outside, she felt disgusted.

Not just with them, but with herself too.

She had done this, hundreds of years ago. In the arena of Pephka. She had killed dozens of warriors, soldiers, what have you. All just for forgetting the ghosts of her past, because who or what else was supposed to make her forget what befell her and her family, what was supposed to drown her sorrows and sate her anger?

Barnabas was ready to give her his shoulder, but she didn't want to trouble the old man anymore. He had done so much for her already, she didn't want to burden him with more of her emotional luggage since the man had too much of his own.

Roxana had tried her best, but always got shunned in the process, Kassandra had closed her heart off to love in every shape and form. Roxana used to be her safe place once after a certain Daughter of Artemis broke her heart, but since her family's demise, she didn't talk about anything other than business. Everything was business.

She couldn't let a mortal being seep into her soul to calm her being anymore, it was far too risky of an endeavor.

Blood was the answer. Innocent blood staining the earth was to be her escape fron reality. 

Myrrine was innocent, Alexios was innocent. Maláka, even she herself was innocent. What's the blood of a few innocent worth anway, she used to think.

_Ours wasn't worth anything._

  
The deafening hollering coming from behind her drew her out of her musings, the crowd was chanting another gladiator's name this time. It was Cassius, from what she could gather.

Apparently, he was up against Cicero now. A fight to death as was with gladiator battles.

She sat down on a bench not far from the exit, the shade from the tree beside it providing her with relief.

Kassandra was searching for the spear bearer, and knew instinctively it was a man. But which man among these faux aristrocrats and malnourished gladiators was supposed to be the spear bearer? She had been in Rome for a month now, but nothing of value had come out if it.

" Is it really necessary to find him, Aletheia? " She sincerely questioned the Isu, her hands resting in her lap. Unsure if she would respond. " Am I not enough to toy with? "

Her statement may have been tinted by sarcasm, but she was dead serious. She did not like the idea at all. Another human being, plucked at and trifled with by the hands of fate.

Maybe he was nothing more than a figment of Aletheia's imaginations, because all the time she had wasted on finding this mythical man would have been better spent on something else.

She had heard whispers the day she had arrived here. Whispers that preluded the formation of that dreaded cult again. Led by ' the richest man in Rome ' , whoever that was.

" I'm pretty sure Pythagoras told you about it already, but I shall try once more. You may be the keeper of the balance but you rely on impulse, you personify chaos. Whereas the spear bearer, he'll use order as his artifice, give you the direction you need to progress. " The Isu was monotonous as always, but something about her comment ticked off Kassandra.

" Amusing. The pythia said the same thing, only at a higher volume. " Kassandra smirked out of spite, was she really chaos personified? Bullshit. " The cult is my only concern, I don't care for anything else. "

" You need to find him, keeper. I only know as much as my simulations allow me to, and I don't know the fate that might await this world if he dies now. " Aletheia was concerned now, continuously pressuring Kassandra to find him soon.

" Do you have any idea how much time I have wasted searching for him? " Kassandra snap answered, throwing her hands up in the air. All this dooms day talk didn't have an effect on her whatsoever, she was past the blackmailing. " I'd rather find and kill the dog responsible for reviving the cult. "

" Yet here you are, still searching for him. "

Kassandra closed her eyes, swallowing hard. Aletheia was irritating her right now, and was practically sure they'd end up in argument if she answered her again. She got up from where she had been seated, " As much as I hate to admit it….you're probably right. There's this ludus in Capua remaining I haven't checked yet, I'll see if I can't find him there. "

She got up, having decided not to argue and started walking in the opposite direction, pausing for a beat to turn around and look fiercely at the colisseum as she addressed Aletheia one last time. 

" I've searched everywhere, and if I don't find him there, I go after the cult myself. "

She uttered her incentive to the wind, and left to look for the spear bearer. 

  
…

Four hours of scouring the area and here she was now.

The ludus was located at the outskirts of the town, it's surrounding area composed of thick vegetation and a dense forest. The ludus was nothing of architectural marvel, just a really big symposium really.

She walked inside the ludus, standing in the empty courtyard. Not a soul in sight.

This looks suspicious. Kassandra had been to enough ludii to know it was never this quiet inside them, and where were all the gladiators? Something was off.

As soon as she put forward her foot to advance further into the ludus, she felt movement behind herself. She quickly veered around to find two young boys dressed in ragged tunics and wielding rusty gladii heading towards her. 

They stopped a few steps away from her, one of them motioning with his hand for her to come close.

Kassandra had a hunch they'd reveal something of interest to her, she carefully treaded towards them, the blade of Leonidas tactfully hidden inside her tunic's sleeve should they decide to do something rash.

" Five denarii. "

Five….denarii? Kassandra's face had confusion written all over it as she began tugging at her earlobes, what was the boy getting at? " I'm sorry? "

" Five denarii and we tell you about him. " 

_Him?_ She didn't know what they were talking about, but five denarii for information didn't sound like such a bad deal. She reached for her pocket sewn just beside the tunic's hem, and pulled out five silver coins.

The boy reached his hand out, snatching the coins from her hand and grinning along with his friend. " They're planning a revolt, tell the commander once you see him. "

" They're what? " Kassandra's mouth hung open, who exactly was planning a revolt and how did these little shits know so much? She had to know. " Who are you talking about? "

" Sorry. That's all you get for five silver coins. " The boy shrugged her off, and turned around gesturing for his friend to do the same and leave the ludus.

" Wait! " She called after them, offering the greedy boy all the coin she had on herself. " Now stop being a smartass and tell me, who are you talking about? "

The boy turned around, almost jumping in joy as he took the bribe. His pockets were filled to brim, full of silver coins that'd be enough to buy their freedom. " Spartakus is leading the rebellion, he escapes today. We asked to join him but he refused. He thinks we're a liability, well guess who's going to be crucified now, huh? "

Kassandra's eyes widened, anxiety gripping at her once she realized just how in danger the maláka was. " Are you out of your mind?! " The boys didn't even look they had hid puberty yet, but their cunning felt repulsive to her.

She took a big step forward, intimidating the boys in the process, " Keep this information to yourself or you'll be the one getting crucified! " She nearly yelled at the duo, her fists itching to slap them at the very least.

The boys took that as their cue to run away, leaving Kassandra alone in that vast courtyard.

" Maláka! " Kassandra had to find the spear—no, Spartakus, right now. Her guts had begun churning in on themselves, her anxiety skyrocketing. There was no guarantee the boys wouldn't snitch to the guards about the rebellion, and as fate would have had it, the guard's barracks were only a few minutes walk away from the ludus.

Kassandra began running to the western end of the courtyard. Once there, she began checking every room for him in a hurry, hoping she'd find him. Where in Hades' name where they at?

She happened in a room at last that was empty save for a man in a brown tunic standing at the far end, looking out the window, rotating his head around in every direction. Possibly scouting the area. 

" You there! " Kassandra called out after him, pulling out another hidden dagger from her sandals should he decide to test her patience as she approached the man in a sprint. 

The man turned around caught off guard, making Kassandra stop dead in her tracks. 

She froze, her gaze taking in the man standing in front of him. His height, his thick brown locks, his complexion. He looked like a more buff version of Alexios, " Who are you? "

The man didn't answer, instead reaching for his gladius he had placed just beside the window. His look was of utter confusion and bewilderment.

" Wait! I'm not the enemy! " Kassandra put up her hands, the man had clearly gotten the wrong idea. " Where is Spartakus? I need to talk to him! "

" What do you want?! " _Maláka_ …even his voice sounded uncannily like Alexios. 

" The rebellion, it— " 

Before she could even finish her sentence, the man came dashing towards her, grabbing her by the wrists and running fleetly in the kitchen's direction.

" Wait, what are you doing?! " Kassandra couldn't understand for the life of her what was happening as the man let go of her hand to fumble with his keys and open the door, leading Kassandra into it.

Kassandra stood inside now, amongst a small group of slaves. The front had looked relatively unassuming, but by Zeus the kitchen was massive.

" Who are you?! " The man shouted at her, " How did you find out about the rebellion?! Tell me now and live, or resist and die wench. "

" Watch your tongue, slave! " Kassandra wasn't having any of it, she came towards the man, her hazel eyes burning with rage, the sunlight sneaking it's way into kitchen by the window casting a shadow over her face.

" Stop shouting! " The man came forward in an antagonistic manner, standing face to face with Kassandra now. Both of them refusing to budge.

Silence reigned between them for what seemed like an eternity, until a slave chimed in.

" Knock it off, Spartakus! "

Kassandra realized then, the man she was trying to intimidate was the man she was after. Spartakus, the spear bearer.

The slaves request seemed to have an effect on him as he broke his stance and stepped back, ending the staring contest both of them had been locked into.

" You're outnumbered. " Spartakus smirked at her, he had her outnumbered one to seventy at the very least. But little did he know, Kassandra could get them all out before they could even say 'ah, shit. ' " Who are you? "

" I'm not your enemy. " She spoke more cordially this time, the fire burning inside her eyes subduing for a minute. " I come in peace. "

" That's not what I asked. " Spartakus crossed his arms, studying the woman in front of him intently.

Kassandra shut her eyes, _don't argue. Focus_. " I'm Kassandra. " She opened them, taking the oppurtunity to look around herself.

The man had gathered a small force, a brave move really since she had heard of two hundred slaves getting caught planning an escape, and killed by the Roman force. To plan a rebellion under such circumstances was no child's play.

" What do you want? Who told you of the rebellion? "

" You've been compromised, two boys betrayed you. They— "

" Damn those scoundrels! You should have killed them when you had the chance Spartakus! " An infuriated slave cut her short, coming forward to argue with Spartakus.

" You're right.. I should have known better. " His head hung low, " I'll take care of them myself once we're out. "

" I need to speak with you Spartakus, alone please. " Kassandra wanted to speak with him before it all went to hell, she'd do anything to convince him to do so.

Her gaze happened to come upon the slave who stood just beside Spartakus, whispering in his ear. An elderly slave. Something about him spoke of kindness.

Spartakus seemed to nod his head in acknowledgement of what the elderly slave had just said. He made eye contact with Kassandra, never breaking it as he went towards the kitchen's door. " One minute is all you get. "

Kassandra shook her head and followed him outside. She had to make this count, she didn't know how much time she had.

The dying light of the sun and the occasional breeze was their only companion as they stood in front of each other in the courtyard, alone.

" Speak. " Spartakus stood in the courtyard like a mountain, ready to hear what the woman had to say. She was getting in his nerves, his men were supposed to leave the ludus today, how did this strange woman find her way here?

" Okay, " How was she supposed to say it all without sounding like a maniac? There was no way Spartakus would believe her but she had to try. " This might sound unbelievable, crazy even but…you're not like the others. " Kassandra shook her head, _what am I even saying? "_ Look, you're… you, have a heritage greater than any of the Romans. You're an Isu descendent, a demi-god among men. "

Spartakus didn't even flinch. He was used to hearing nonsense about himself, but this by far was the most far-fetched out of them all. Who were these Isu the woman was on about? " People also say I'm a descendant of Jupiter, am I supposed to believe that as well? "

" You don't understand! " Kassandra was getting antsy now, it was the truth. But the information seemed to have no effect on him. " I need your help! "

" This conversation is over. Run away if you don't want to get killed. " Spartakus had had enough of this pointless banter, he turned around on his toes to head back to the kitchen. But what Kassandra said next made him pause only for a short moment.

" You're from Thrace are you not? "

His back was against her, his slightly amused face hidden. This was common information, everybody knew it. " Everyone knows that, wench. "

" I take it they also know about you being disowned at fourteen years old then. " Kassandra bit her lip, eagle eying Spartakus. The homework she had done on him wasn't supposed to come to fruition like this but damn those boys all the way to Tartarus, she had no other way to convince Spartakus. " Your father thought you a waste of flesh. "

Spartakus turned around, she had his attention now. " What did you say? "

" Your shield. It's of your fallen brothers isn't it, he died protecting you that day from the Roman forced that made a slave out of you. " She felt horrible doing this, she hadn't planned for it to go this way but the fate of humankind was riding on the man in front of her, she had to do it.

Spartakus went silent, unable to piece the information together. The woman looked like she was in her late twenties, there was no way she would know it all.

" Every attack, every strike…you seem to know what your opponent's move is going to be, don't you? " 

She lunged forward at him without a moment's delay, aiming for his face and punching him. The brunt of the blow made him step back, clutching his nose. " Then why can't you seem to read mine? "

Her punch was followed by a kick in the stomach, one that Spartakus managed to dodge, but her incoming uppercut caught him off guard, sending him crashing to the ground.

The blows were harder than he had initially anticipated them to be, how could she possibly know? 

" That's because we both are the same. " Kassandra came forward, offering her hand to him. A gesture of goodwill, hoping it'd be enough to at least make the man not think of her as en enemy. 

Spartakus stared at her hand for some time, unsure what to do. He looked up at her, but was surprised to see nothing but distress in her eyes. It was his rebellion. His revolt. Then why was she so concerned for it? She didn't look like a slave either.

He decided to go for her hand, grasping it firmly as he got up. He wanted to know what her motive was, if she was the enemy he'd kill her once they were out of here.

" What do you want from me? " 

" For now, just to stay alive. You— "

She stopped in the middle of her sentence, squinting her eyes and cocking her head in the direction of the faint sound coming from behind her. Dread engulfed her once she realized what the clanking of metal and hollering of Roman soldiers meant.

The city guard was here. They'd not hesitate to kill the slaves, just like the slaves wouldn't either.

" Maláka! "

She sprinted like a bat out of hell towards the kitchen, Spartakus following her close behind.

He opened the door with enough force to break it apart and shouted at the top of his lungs, " Everyone gather whatever you can! If we die today, we die as free men! "

The men grabbed whatever they could find in the kitchen. Knifes, machetes. Anything that could be used as a weapon. Kassandra took out her broken spear concealed under her sleeves as well, this was going to be a bloody affair.

The guards came running inside the courtyard, their leader instructing his men to not leave a single slave alive. The slaves had killed their instructors, and hid their bodies days prior according to the two young boys. The slaves were to be killed mercilessly.

" Charge! " Spartakus commanded his men, battle ensuing all around.

A guard came running at him, gladius in hand. He dodged his blow by manuevering his body to the side, and sliced his gut open with one swing of his machete. Another came running at Spartakus, but met his death at the edge of his blade. His blood spilling all over the ground, staining it crimson.

Kassandra was caught in a fight of her own, killing the Roman guards one by one. A guard came running at her from behind, but another slave surprised him by stabbing him with his knife.

She turned around to see the battle was already at an end, the slaves had bested professionally trained guards. Detached limbs lay everywhere, crimson blood staining the walls.

" Look out! " She yelled at Spartakus who was engaged in a fight, she ran towards him leaping forward and piercing the incoming soldiers lung with one thrust of her broken spear and spartan kicking him.

Spartakus took his machete out of the now dead guard, nodding his head once his eyes met hers and gesturing for his men to follow him. " To the storeroom everyone! Now! Grab whatever you can! "

The slaves killed the remaining guards effortlessly, outnumbering the remaining handful guards and grabbing their weapons, heading for the storeroom at their leader's command.

They broke open the door of the storeroom, taking better weapons and suitable armor. Once dressed and geared up, Spartakus addressed his men.

" We are no longer anyone's slave! Tonight, we drink as free men! "

His men cried in unison, chanting his name over and over again. 

" Spartakus! Spartakus! Spartakus! "

The mob came chanting his name out of the ludus, celebrating their newfound freedom. Thanking Spartakus for being brave enough to do something no one else was. Finally hoping for a better future for themselves.

Kassandra got left behind, she shouted from the back of the mob, she had to talk to Spartakus. " Spartakus! "

Spartakus stopped his march, remembering he had unfinished business with her. He turned around and so did his men, but their stare wasn't of apprehension but of gratitude.

" We camp in the forest for the night, but no more than that. We leave at dawn. " He threw a glance in Kassandra's direction, returning his attention to his comrades soon after, " No one troubles the woman, is that understood? "

Kassandra closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, maybe it was an indication the man would listen to him after all.

The day was at it's end, having left behind death in it's wake. But it also brought hope along, and freedom for those who had longed to step out of these brick walls. 

She could feel a storm coming, one that would turn Rome upside down.

  
…

  
It was near midnight now, the campfire still burned bright even if more than half of the men had gone to sleep.

Kassandra got up from the log she had been seated on, having brought her conversation with the elderly slave from before to an end.

His name was Servius. Sold as a slave by his greedy son. Lost his slave daughter to her master. He loathed Rome, and wished to kill all those who dare treat slaves worse than animals. His kind blue eyes held years of pain behind them, she felt pity for him. He didn't deserve any of it.

She made her way to where Spartakus was standing with his two comrades. The slaves had chosen Spartakus and the other two as their leaders. 

They were discussing something amidst themselves, but Kassandra interrupted them. Now was the chance to speak with Spartakus without any hindrance.

" I'm sorry, " She interjected, passing an apologetic look to the two tall men in front of her, " I need to talk to Spartakus. "

" May I know your name? " One of them stepped forward, he had dark brown hair that appeared golden due to the burning fire around them. He looked the youngest out of the bunch. 

He had been eying her for a while now, she was certainly pretty and knew how to fight on top of it. What idiot wouldn't want to get a piece of that? " I'd like to know the name of our savior. " He turned around and shot Spartakus a wink, hoping to get a reaction from him. All he got was a scowl, unfortunately.

" ….I'm Kassandra. " His wink made Kassandra feel all manners of uncomfortable, unwarranted advances made at her by men always made her feel uneasy. Even if she were more than a hundred years old. " Spartakus is the savior, not me. "

" A truly beautiful name such as yourself. " He bowed his head, never breaking eye contact. " I'm Crixus, friend to Spartakus and this gentlemen, Oenomaus. Now leader of the rebellion. "

" Yes, may I speak with him now? " Kassandra didn't want to roll her eyes just now, she barely knew the man and it wasn't his fault either. He didn't know she wasn't interested in men.

He was nice to look at, but that was it.

" Oh of course, whatever the lady wants. " He nodded at her and motioned for his light haired friend Oenomaus to follow him. 

Kassandra watched him leave from the corner of her eye, stepping forward towards Spartakus. 

" Crixus can be like that at times..I apologize. " Spartakus broke the silence once the men were out of earshot. " Have a seat. " He sat down on the tree log, requesting the same of Kassandra.

" Oh, it's fine. I didn't mind that. " The man had irritated her, true, but he also reminded her of her dear friend, Alkibiades. Oh, how she missed his corny little jokes. She could use some of them now, honestly.

She sat down in front of him, fidgeting with her fingers. Why the fuck was she feeling nervous? Maybe because what she had to tell him was utter nonsense. " What I said before….did you believe any of that? "

" No. " Spartakus answered her question quickly, but he soon followed after, his eyes settling on a tree just behind Kassandra. " Though I admit, you were right about one thing. "

Kassandra looked up from her hands, her heart hoping maybe Spartakus had given some thought to what she had said.

" I always know what my opponent's next strike is going to be, it's how I've managed to stay alive so far. But with you, I didn't. " He crossed his arms, but his gaze wasn't choleric.

" You belong to an incredible bloodline. " The words scorched her mouth on their way out, _malákes bloodline_ … But it was the truth sadly, it was their blood that made them extraordinary. 

She pulled out her broken spear from her balteus, " Hold this. It'll reveal everything you need to know. " Spartakus didn't look too convinced, she had to use it now.

The spear had to awaken to Spartakus, everything was riding on it awakening to the spear bearer now. It was her last hope.

He looked at her spear, hesitating to take it at first. 

" Don't worry, you'll be fine. " She gave him a forced smile, her heart beating terribly fast. _Please don't let me down_. She reached out her hand to give him her spear, letting it rest in his lap. 

Spartakus didn't know what to do, was the woman playing with her? But if she knew what nobody else did about him and hadn't killed him yet, maybe her intentions weren't vile? 

After much mental nudging, he grabbed the spear. Faint xanthous light started emitting out of the spear as soon as he grabbed it.

The spear of Leonidas had awakened.

Flashes of a fallen soldier wearing Spartan armor, a child getting thrown off from a mountain, to phantom illusions of an effeminate mercenary scouring the aegean sea commanding a fleet of persians, and singlehandedly defeating hordes of men in purple, kneeling at the edge of a mountain alone.

And then, of himself. His life, his misfortune, his future.

  
" Hey! Are you okay?! "

Kassandra held him by the shoulders, concerned for him. Spartakus opened his eyes, his gaze disoriented at first. He had seen more than he had actually thought he would, and it all refused to leave his mind.

Once his blurry eyes came into focus, he thanked Jupiter. Thankfully, the men were fast asleep and none of them had seen what had just happened.

" Who…no…what do you want with me? " He asked her, his head hanging low and eyes shut. Had that really happened or was it just a piece of his hallucinations? " Who are you? " He searched her eyes for signs of deceit, but found none of it.

" I'm sorry, it's a long story. " Kassandra gave him an apologetic smile, and stood up from the log. Spartakus had seen enough to come after her himself. " I'll be keeping an eye on you. "

She started treading in the opposite direction, stopping once Spartakus spoke from behind her.

" You're not going anywhere until you explain it all to me. " His voice was stern, he wanted to know about it all. He wasn't letting her run away like this.

" If you say so. " She veered around, happy to oblige. Opportunities like this didn't present themselves often, she had to seize it and take full advantage of it.

…

  
" That's….too much to take in at once. " Spartakus couldn't believe the woman in front of him was close to four hundred years old. But the way she described Sparta's victory over Athens in the Peloponnesian war, there was no way she was lying.

" I know. I had thought the same back then, too. " She lifted her face up to look at the sky, the first rays of morning were beginning to scatter now.

She had told him all about it, about how he was supposed to be the inheritor of the divine source, safely hidden miles away from Rome. How she was immortal and tasked with keeping the balance of this world.

" So,… will you help me? "

" I….don't know. My concern right now is the rebellion. I already lost two hundred of my comrades, I don't intend to lose more. " He got up from the log, balling his hands into fists, staring into her eyes. " I won't go out of my way for the others, they can join me if they want but that's about it. "

 _Oh_. So the slaves who died before, they were his friends. And here he was, already planning his revenge.

" Fair enough. " She stood up as well, ready to head off in her search for the newly reformed cult's leader.

" The man you mentioned, his name is Marcus Licinius Crassus. " 

Kassandra opened, then closed her mouth in regular intervals, perplexed. How in Zeus' name did he know while she didn't? She had spent four weeks looking for him. " How do you know?! I've been looking for— "

" You're not from here, that's why. " Spartakus smirked at her, clearly the woman thought she was a good tracker. " It wouldn't be wise to go after him, killing him is impossible. Even if one is immortal. "

" You don't need to worry about that. I can take care of him myself. " Kassandra cracked her knuckles, returning his smirk. He was underestimating her, he didn't know what she was capable of. Well, perhaps he did now but still.

" If you kill him now, all of us die. "

" What do you mean? " Her features went blank, why would killing him possibly endanger their life?

" Word of our escape has already reached the senate, I wager. If, by some miracle, you manage to find him and kill him, us slaves will have to bear the brunt of it all. " 

He was right, damn it he was right.

Kassandra's spirits were crushed. Spartakus was right, if she went after Crassus now, his men would be condemned to a gruesome death. Not to mention Spartakus himself would die, now that she couldn't afford to let happen.

Damn it. All the time she had invested in him was wasted. She had to wait until their rebellion was over, or….. fight alongside them. 

" You're probably right. " Her voice was lower than usual, she'd have to stay longer than she had intended in Rome now. 

" To a lasting partnership then. " Spartakus extended out his hand for a shake, an immortal woman on his side could prove to be invaluable. She needed his help as much as he needed hers.

Kassandra went for it without a second thought, leaving Spartakus unsupervised was out of the question.

" To a lasting partnership. "

Kassandra shook his hand with a firm grip as the first break of light bathed them both in pleasant warmth. 

She knew now they'd be sticking together for a long time.

* * *

  
Almost an year had gone by since their escape. Several men, women, even children from all around had joined Spartakus' cause. Anyone who was able-bodied and valued their freedom flocked to join him. They had established their encampment near Mount Vesuvius, under Spartakus' command. 

Kassandra spent the year carefully tracking and eliminating cultists with Spartakus' help naturally, and freeing their slaves, who joined the man without further ado. They made a good team, now that she thought about it.

Crixus, on the other hand, spent his time plundering and raiding unsuspecting villages and towns, much to Kassandra's dismay. She had wanted to punch him on several occassions, he infuriated her beyond measure.

  
" I've asked him to stop but he won't listen, " Kassandra had been sitting by Spartakus' side near the edge of the slope on a sunny morning, she took her head in her hands in defeat. " He just won't listen."

" And you're surprised because? " Spartakus struggled to hold in his laughter, his friend was dense. He didn't listen to anyone.

" I'm serious, Spartakus! " Kassandra threw her hands up in the air, she shifted herself so she'd be facing him, " he's about as tall as a horse, but has the intelligence of an ass. "

Spartakus guffawed, clearly she had expected too much from him, " I thought you were serious. "

It earned him a smack in his chest, but one that was worth it. 

Never in a million years would she have imagined this, but she cared for a strange man who looked like her brother. She had wanted to be with him, to stay by his side, but fate never gave her the chance. Or maybe it had this time, she got to relive it all with Spartakus. Now that he had grown a beard, he looked exactly like him. 

Maybe the wheels of time weren't so cruel after all, allowing her to forge a bond once again. Her brother got a chance at redemption too, sharing it with a man named Spartakus.

Comfortable reticence stretched between them, until Spartakus broke it rather eccentrically.

" Gather the men. "

He stood up from where he had been sitting, heading hurriedly into his tent. 

" Wait, is everything okay? " Kassandra stood up as well, heading in the direction of the camp quickly. Spartakus never acted out of impulse, something that had been previously attested by Aletheia. Something was off.

She got up and began sprinting towards the camp.

" Crixus! Oenomaus! Gather the men! " She hollered at them from afar, waiting for them to do as told.

" Is everything alright? " Oenomaus looked worried, the only sensible man out of the bunch after Spartakus.

" I don't know. Spartakus told me to— "

" Woah woah, easy there vixen. "

Crixus came from behind her, trying to put his arm around her waist. But he got punched in the face instead. This woman had gathered his attention and was proving difficult to get in the bag.

" I thought I made it clear men don't interest me. " Kassandra's face was flushed, she was getting angry now and would end up murdering him in cold blood if he didn't do as told.

" Hush now, is that any way to convince a man? " Crixus wanted her, even if she weren't into men. Because to Crixus, women were trophies. Trophies he wanted to collect every damn time he saw one worth having, and adding a gorgeous Greek woman to the list of women he had slept with? Simply splendid.

" I suggest you shut up if you want to continue being a man. " She held up her index finger against him, her bulging eyes enough to send any man running in the other direction. But that man, sadly, wasn't Crixus.

" Stop it both of you! Now isn't the time for fighting! " Oenomaus stepped in between them, pushing Crixus away from her.

He was right, now wasn't the time for fighting when danger was looming over them.

" Everyone gear up! " He yelled at his men, who obliged and began assembling themselves in proper attire.

Kassandra was locked in a stare with Crixus, giving him a deathly glare. Once the rebellion was over, she'd end his life herself. End of story.

" Men! Gather around! "

Spartakus' voice came from behind them, who was now dressed in his prized lorica hamata, his gladius hanging by his silver balteus and holding his adorned galea in his hand. 

" Gaius Claudius Glaber is leading a force here. Untrained fools sent by the Roman senate. They don't take us seriously now, but they shall once we're done with him! " He pulled out his gladius and raised it in the air.

His men cried out in accord, all of them willing to sacrifice their life in a matter of seconds for their commander who had given them an opportunity to live their lifes as free men, not slaves. All of them were now dressed in attire similar to Spartakus' including the two commanders and wielding swords, some of them preferring spears like Oenomaus.

At a safe distance from Crixus now, standing beside the elderly slave Servius instead, _he'll_ _make a fine leader_ , was all Kassandra could think as she saw him standing in front of his men. She felt proud of him for having become a courageous man, one who had stood up for himself and his friends. A far cry from the crying teen she had seen in her vision granted to her by the staff.

For the first time, she was actually looking forward to the time she'd spend with Spartakus until both of them were relieved of their duties. It'd make her journey to Elysium, or Tartarus if she wasn't deemed worthy, much more bearable. 

But how could he possibly know the enemy was about to strike? There was no way he'd know unless—

A golden eagle perched itself on Spartakus' shoulder on cue, staring at her with curious eyes. 

Spartakus looked over and made eye contact with her, smiling and shrugging having revealed a tad bit of information about him rather subtly.

He came forward, making his way through his band of followers, " Crixus, Oenomaus. You cover the base camp. Kassandra, you come with me " 

_What?!_ Crixus wasn't too happy with his decision, why should the wench get all the action to herself? " Hey! We're the commanders not— "

" Cover the base camp. " Spartakus said it with enough gravity to make the man eat his words.

" Yes….. Sir. "

  
Spartakus gestured with his hand for Kassandra to follow him, walking to the edge of the slope they had been sitting on previously so he could have better view of the vista below. 

The eagle kept throwing glances in her direction, Kassandra couldn't help but make faces at it all the while.

" What's his name? " She asked Spartakus as she tried petting the eagle, who was clearly not having any of it and flew away as soon as she asked the question.

" She, you mean. "

" Maybe I offended her, and you couldn't have told me sooner you had eagle vision? Really, Spartakus? " Kassandra expressed her irritation at Spartakus, maláka should have told her a long time ago. She crossed her arms, pouting her lips and looking at him with the most hilariously vile expression she could conjure up in all seriousness.

" It never crossed my mind, sorry. " Spartakus scratched his cheek nervously, he had genuinely forgotten it. " Her name's Aquila by the way. "

 _Aquila, huh?_ She was going to drag him down so hard for this, " You couldn't have gone for something more original? "

" Says the one who named their bird Ikaros. " 

Despite the severity of the situation, he found himself lost in an enjoyable conversation with a woman he had found a kindred spirit in. But he had to force them out of the comfortable into the wretched uneasiness that was the incoming assault. " Anyway, this area right here is thick with vines. We could weave them into rappelling lines to escape should the worse come to pass, or catch the fools by surprise. But it's far too risky, we risk falling to our deaths. "

That was brilliant. He would have made a great Spartan general back in the day. " That's genius, Spartakus. But we shouldn't— "

Aquila came back shrieking, flying over their heads and circling the base camp. A telltale sign danger was near.

" Damn it! Tell the men to stand at the ready! " 

Spartakus shouted from where he stood and took off in the direction of the camp with Kassandra in tow, to alert his men and get them ready for the attack.

Spartakus, Crixus, Oenomaus began preparing the men, assembling them and instructing those who weren't going into battle on how to defend themselves should the need arise.

Kassandra took the oppurtunity to scout the area below, they were encamped on the slope of a malákes volcanic mountain. The chance of them winning was slim, but not null.

She descended down the mountain by the help of the vines, her days as a mercenary proving useful in her descent. The area around her was thick with vegetation, not to mention a dense forest stood in the way of their victory.

She made it down in a matter of minutes, her eyes happening upon the soldiers in red in the distance, marching their way towards here. The area was to their advantage, they didn't even have to engage them in battle. They were overwhelming in numbers alone, training itself didn't even matter at this point.

_Damn it, they'll force us into submission. What are we supposed to do now?_

_Fight them_.

Aletheia had answered her inner monologue after an year of having been absent since their last almost argument at the colisseum. She knew how to make an entrance, an unwelcome one at that too.

_As you wish, Your Great Magnificence._

_This is no time for jests, keeper. Go, and lead the spear bearer to victory_. 

Kassandra turned around, already reaching for a vine when she rotated her head to look at the approaching force, dread slowly creeping up on her. They'd be here in no more than ten minutes. Scaling the mountain again might mean certain death for them all.

_Fuck it, I'll just teleport._

She let go of the vine, and teleported inside her tent, saving her precious time that she didn't have of much. She came running out, already calling out for Spartakus. They had to take the force by surprise. 

" Spartakus! "

She ran past the armed men to see the three commanders on the other edge of the slope, one that allowed them to see the arrival of the force first hand, each one of them holding their gladius in their hand.

" Listen to me, I have got a plan! " She knew how to defeat them, element of surprise was key. 

Spartakus and Oenomaus pivotted around, but that maláka didn't. 

" Order the men to weave the vines into ladders, don't attack them just yet. We'll take them when they least expect it. "

Oenomaus and Spartakus ogled each other, not understanding what exactly Kassandra was thinking since there weren't nearly enough of them to win.

After a couple of seconds, they nodded their heads and called out after their men, ordering them to create rappelling lines out of said vines.

" Crixus, let's go! "

" Oh, whatever the lady wants, I shall do. " He turned around, his awful smile plastered on his face.

" Kill yourself. " She rolled her eyes at him, secretly hoping he would. Kassandra never despised someone as much as she despised him, well, maybe Chrysis would take the first spot but Crixus was a close second.

With the men already having descended down, with her and Crixus remaining, she made for the vines hastily.

Crixus offered her his hand, but instead, he saw her flawlessly descend down using the vine. He felt jealous, even he wasn't that agile then how could a woman be?

With the men hidden under the camouflage the forest had provided them, they slowly made their way till they could see the Roman forces.

They had made camp in a clearing, if they worked together they could get them.

Spartakus crouched behind a tree, his gladius in hand, and his eye trained on the lone man at the end of the camp, guarding it. He was only a few seconds march away.

He tore his gaze from him to to look at his right and bring it upon his force who stood valiantly behind him, all of them having unsheathed their swords and tightened their grips on their spears. He saw Kassandra just beside him, and his two commanders. Waiting for his signal.

Kassandra put her hand on his shoulder, drawing out her gladius as she did so, " I've got your back, frater. "

She had his back. She wasn't letting her brother in arms die, she had let him die once. Not this time, no. 

Spartakus gave her a smile, and stood up. It was now or never. He'd either die here a hero or live another day as a leader of the rebellion. 

" Charge! " He commanded his men as he dashed forward with all his might. 

Spartakus closed the gap between the camp and him in a matter of seconds, striking the Roman soldier in his heart who didn't even have the chance to draw out his sword, killing him with one swift blow.

Battle ensued as his men followed suit and clashed with the Roman force.

The clanking of metal, swords blocking fatal blows and soldiers screaming in pain echoed in the forest, the delicate smell of rain that had just started pouring ignored as blood got scattered all over the ground.

Spartakus took on two soldiers himself, one of them leapt forward at him trying to jab his spear in his head. He rolled over just in time and lodged his gladius in his esophagus, evading another incoming attack aimed at him by the other Roman and using his strength against himself, by grabbing the soldier's arm and pushing his own gladius inside his gut. 

He took it out of his hands as he pushed him down to the ground, and slashed all those who came at him.

The merciless battle around him was raging in all it's merciless glory. Soldiers were falling, Roman soldiers that were no match for his force.

He had killed every soldier that had come towards him, one swing of his blade proving enough each time. His men were winning, besting the untrained army.

Kassandra was caught up in a fight of her own, tactfully avoiding every blow, and using her speed to her advantage, one precise thrust of her broken spear was more than enough to send these malákes to Hades.

On the same side of the battlefield, Oenomaus had decided to engage their commander, Gaius Claudius Glaber, in battle.

" Come at me, bastard. " He held up his shield, bashing it with his spear. He was more than ready to kill him.

" You'll regret this, slave. " The commander took out his gladius and came dashing towards him.

Kassandra hit a Roman soldier with her spartan kick, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood on her gladius was trickling down the blade's edge as she slashed another's gut open with a horizontal strike of her gladius.

She pivotted around to see the on going duel between Oenomaus and Gaius. Both of them were evenly matched when it came to strength, but Oenomaus had the upper hand when it came to battle tactics.

She couldn't observe it for longer as another swarm of Roman soldiers surrounded her, restricting her from helping Oenomaus.

  
The clash between Oenomaus and Gaius was going in the former gladiator's favor, he tried aiming his attack at his chest but struck him in the shoulder instead, making the commander drop his weapon.

" Die now! " He leapt towards him, having decided it was the last day of Gaius' life.

" Don't get so cocky, slave! "

Gaius dodged his attack in the nick of time, pulling a hidden dagger from his greaves and striking Oenomaus in his eye, rendering him blind. 

  
Oenomaus blood-curdling stream drew Kassandra's attention who had just gotten rid of the soldiers that had swarmed her earlier.

" Gaius! " She yelled his name from across the battlefield, sprinting in his direction and her galea falling off in the commotion of it all. 

She stopped abrubtly once he was in reach, holding her gladius firmly in her hand, her stance poised as she began circling Gaius. The battle around them was already at an end, the slaves had won by a big margin. 

" You! They warned me about you, you're after Crassus! " Gaius knelt down to grab Oenomaus spear who lay there unconscious, " You'll never get him! "

Finesse never had been her strong suit, but she had tried her hardest to hide her tracks, clearly to no effect. " Don't worry, he'll join you soon enough! "

Kassandra advanced towards him, deftly evading all his attempts at striking her. An average Roman soldier was no match for her, she was more nimble and agile than anyone in the entire battlefield.

Simply put, once equipped with a sword or a spear, she became invisible. 

She struck him vertically at his chest, ripping open the chains on his lorica hamata, following her strike with a hard stomp on where his flesh was exposed.

" An eye for an eye! " she dashed at him, giving her blade a whirl as she came towards him and slashed her blade over both of his eyes, beheading him next. Debts needed to repaid, even if they were of blood.

With Gaius dead now, she discarded her weapon on the ground and came running to Oenomaus' aid. 

She checked his pulse, thank Zeus he was still alive. But his wounds had to be bandaged immediately, she looked up to examine what had become of the battle. If it were still raging on, she could just teleport back to the base camp and bandage him. 

But as fate would have had it, the battle was won. Spartakus' men were already celebrating their victory, making prisoners of those who remained. 

Spartakus stood a few yards away, but caught her as he looked around for her. He came hastily towards them, taking off his own galea and checking Oenomaus' pulse, settling down.

" He will make it, I just have to teleport back to— "

" No. " Spartakus looked up from Oenomaus at Kassandra, he didn't want her to get the wrong impression. If his men saw her disappear into thin air, they'd brand her a freak. Maybe even try to kill her. " We can't let them know, he'll make it, you said it yourself right? "

Kassandra slid her tongue over her parched lips, maybe he was right in wanting that. Oenomaus would make it, his injuries weren't grave. " Okay, but we have to bandage him. Soon. "

Spartakus nodded and called out after Crixus, " Crixus! Come over here, we need your help! "

" What is it now? Can't a man be left alone with his victory? Crixus stood away from them at a distance, basking in his glory, his band of followers commending him for getting the most kills. 

He reluctantly made towards them, the color draining from his eyes once he recognized who Spartakus was cradling in his lap. 

He wasted no time in rushing at them, fear eating at him. " Is he okay? Will he make it? "

" He will, I need you to get some herbs. Right now. " Spartakus assured his friend all was well, he knew they were close.

" He's unconscious, we have to get him to safety. " Kassandra continued after Spartakus, they couldn't take care of him in an open battelfield. 

" Follow my lead. "

Crixus' demeanor had changed, it was almost hard to believe he was the same man from a few hours before, maybe because Kassandra had thought someone like him couldn't hold anyone dear.

He led them into a cave just north of where they had fought the Roman force sent after them, a cave his men had discovered not even a minute had gone by.

" It'll be safe here. " Crixus left them at the entrance of the cave, having carried Oenomaus there himself. He put him near the entrance, leaving without even throwing another glance in their direction.

But something made him pause in his tracks, he pulled up and stared at his hands that were crimson with his friend's blood. " Don't let him die. "

He didn't even turn around to say that, and left looking for medicinal herbs, anything really, that could save his friend.

" Let's go inside. " 

Spartakus carried Oenomaus inside the cave, placing him on the ground and sitting beside him. " Sit. " He gave Kassandra a warm look, one that was of brotherly love.

It tugged at her heart, made her remember how baby Alexios would look at her with such longing when she'd sing him a lullaby, looking at her with innocent eyes, giggling when she made ugly faces at him.

Kassandra returned his smile, and sat beside him. 

" I hope there weren't many casualties? " It was true, war was an ugly affair. Even if they had won, the men on the other side had lost their lifes fighting for a cause she wasn't even sure they believed in. At least, Spartakus' so called 'slaves' had the freedom of having the choice to believe in an ideology they saw fit.

" Only three, can you believe that? " Spartakus' pursed lips quickly morphed into a smile. His look was one of pride, not in himself, but in his men. They had fought bravely despite no prior training, and those who fell would be buried with honors worthy of a king. 

" I've never seen him concerned for anyone else. " Kassandra knew it was possible the change of subject could sour Spartakus' mood, but what the hell, she wanted to know. 

" Well, you see… " 

Spartakus got up, and started pacing around the cave. " There first gladiator battle was against each other. "

 _What?_

" But aren't gladiators supposed to fight each other in mortal combat? " Kassandra didn't understand, every battle she had heard of had culminated in the death of one of them.

" Yes. Oenomaus won, imagine that. " He had taken up his pace, walking back and forth. " He spared him, needless to say the crowd wasn't too happy and demanded they both be punished. Crixus was tossed in a dungeon and Oenomaus…it earned him sixty lashes everyday for a whole month. " 

Spartakus began cracking his fingers, he always got anxious when talking about personal things. " They became friends, and met me soon after. " 

" Oh.. I see. " Prying had proven to be bad, she knew Spartakus didn't like talking much about such matters, but curiosity killed the woman. " That was brave of him. " 

" It was. Crixus owes Oenomaus his life. He'd gladly give away his own if it meant Oenomaus would live. " 

He stopped his pacing, then sat beside Kassandra once more. He lifted up his gaze from his hands to look at her, " You're the best soldier I've ever seen. "

He admired her, her determination, her skill. Everything about her was godly, the visions the spear had shown were true. She was a goddess among men.

" And you're the best commander I've had the pleasure of witnessing. " She smiled at him, her hazel eyes harboring kindness in them. " They'll remember this battle for ages. "

" Like they remembered your grandfather's three hundred. " He put his hand on her shoulder, King Leonidas of Sparta was a man he could only dream of becoming like. But something changed in him as sadness appeared on his face out of nowhere. " I'm sorry. " 

" It happened a long time ago, frater meus. Don't be. " She put her hand on top of his, her calloused fingers tracing the skin beneath, her heart silently wishing it were Alexios.

If only it were Alexios.

The action seemed to jolt her as she stood up with no warning, quickly pulling her hand away. " I should probably go and check on the men. "

" Of course. " He knew why she got up, he wasn't oblivious to it all.

Spartakus awakened memories of Alexios more than she'd like to admit. She spent her nights cursing herself for getting attached to him, reminding herself each passing hour he wasn't Alexios, but someone who had decided to test her by being everything Alexios wasn't and still look like him.

To remind her of what she could have had, how Alexios could have been.

Kassandra left the cave, leaving Spartakus alone with Oenomaus. She didn't want to see his face right now, she hadn't felt vulnerable like this in a long time.

Spartakus was left alone in the cave, alone with his thoughts that he had trouble controlling. First, he had to devise what he planned to do next. And second, if he was ever going to assume the role of the keeper of the divine source since he still hadn't made up his mind on what to do.

The battle might have been won, but it was just the beginning. The spark they had just ignited would develop into a devouring fire that'd burn the oligarchy in Rome to ashes. The slaves had become a force to be reckoned with, Rome would take the uprising seriously now.

History would remember them, not as slaves this time. But as the heralds of the Third Servile War.

* * *

It was a brisk winter night, her breath coming out in clouds of fog as she stood in a farm field, her breath shaky as she let down her hair to let it flow freely. 

Kassandra had just gotten back from her regular nights of hunting cultists, and this time, being more careful with herself. The malákes had grown organized now, finding them amidst the common rubble was too difficult. She had to track them one by one, make note of their routine before she could lay there hands on them. But their robes still hadn't changed, even after all these years. They still wore those masks.

Most of them were rich citizens of the state, being masters of slaves. Slaves who'd join Spartakus' force each time she'd kill a cultist.

Crassus, the man behind it all, was still out of her reach though. It'd take another year to get to him, the rebellion itself would be over by then, and she'd have the full assistance of Spartakus. She couldn't wait.

" I should probably sleep. " She stretched out her hands as she let out a big yawn, her routine had gotten more demanding now that their group of followers had expanded into at least seventy thousand or more.

Another group led by Publius Varinus had been sent after them not too long after they had defeated Gaius and his men. He had failed in spectacular fashion, crushed like a louse. He and his force getting thrashed by the opposition.

She trained the men, and the few women who had previously played the role of a gladiatorix, by day. By night, she sent the cultists to hell. 

Kassandra tiptoed her way to the cottage just behind her, reserved solely for her ( thanks to Spartakus ) and laid down on the bed once inside.

She pulled the covers up, it felt nice feeling warm after a tiring day. She closed her eyes, hoping to get a good nights sleep and shifted on her side .

She wasn't asleep, and found herself visiting old memories she made with Spartakus in these two years. Two years that had went by in the blink of an eye. 

They had gone hunting together once, Spartakus' proved no match for her archery skills. She was the better one in that regard. They had hunted deers, and gathered around the fire to drink good wine and pour their hearts out to each other.

  
_" No way, I don't believe you. " Spartakus shook his head in disbelieve, he couldn't imagine Kassandra wearing a dress. Not even if her life depended on it._

_" Of all the thingsh I've_ _told you about myself, " the wine was beginning to take over, Kassandra was slurring her words but enjoying Spartakus' company, " this is the one you f-f-f- "_

 _" Find. " Spartakus finished for her, giggling at her_.

_" F-find the hardesht to believe? "_

_" You'd have looked like an eighty year old man at an agoge. "_

_Kassandra didn't take too kindly to that, whacking him in the gut, " I looked pretty. You should have asked Alkibiadesh aboult it. "_

_" Ow, what was that for? "_

_Both of them were under the spell of tipsiness, laughing together as the moon shone bright over them. Allowing Kassandra this moment to carve in her brain for all eternity, because the keeper didn't have many pleasant memories to remember. "_

_Kassandra put the amphora down on the ground, resting her head on Spartakus' shoulder, watching the flames of the fire dance in front her hazel eyes._

_Spartakus let her savor the moment, he had tapped into her memories years ago. She longed for this. But he knew, he knew it all._

_" I remind you of him, don't I? " His voice was barely louder than a whisper, so low Kassandra would have missed it if she hadn't placed her head on his shoulder._

_" What are you talking about? " The question immediate sobered her up, but she didn't pull away from him because doing so would mean looking him in the eyes. She couldn't do that right now, her yielding eyes would betray the walls she had built around herself._

_They weren't supposed to come crumbling down like this._

_" Kassandra.. " He just wanted to hear her admit it. He didn't care if it was selfish, he just wanted to know if she really held him dear or not. Because so far, no one had._

_" I didn't even know what he was like. The cult turned him into a monster. " She bit her lip, almost able to taste blood on her tongue now._

_" I'm sorry for what they did to him. " He wanted to reach forward and grab her hand, by Jupiter it was all he wanted._

_She wasn't the only one who wanted her brother back. He had lost one too._

_But he couldn't. He didn't want to push her away, they were treading on dangerous territory here, one wrong move and everything would be ruined till time existed. What if he did decide to take over the divine source? Would they be able to work together if things fell apart between them?_

_" So am I. "_

_Kassandra could feel a lump rising in the back of her throat, she could feel the flood of emotions heading her way. She got up, trying not to just run away to her hut. Instead, walking as slowly as she could, her heart threatening to burst._

_" Don't let your past be the architect of your life. "_

_Advice. It was all he could do for her._

_" I won't. " She turned her face, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She waved him good bye, not caring if he saw it or not and went straight to her hut._

_Kassandra felt like she had been cut open, her old wounds reopened, bleeding more than they ever had before._

_She gathered herself, holding herself by her arms, tears in her eyes as she fought off nightmares dressed as memories of her past life._

_Alexios._

_Why couldn't he see the love his sister and mater held for him? How could he be so blind to his own pain that he forgot Kassandra and Myrrine had gone through the same?_

_How could he call the cult his family, the battlefield his home when it was them who were his family, their arms his home._

_Why, Alexios. Why did you have to do that?_

  
The mercenary of the past was lost deep in her slumber now, having fallen asleep. She was asleep underneath the stars she was hopelessly in love with. 

But the sudden clanking of metal disturbed her sleep, it sounded as if Spartakus was training the men. Damn it, she had hoped they wouldn't train early in the morning. She really needed that sleep.

Was it truly morning?

She cracked an eye open, her vision coming into focus a few seconds later. 

It was still dark, the sun hadn't come out yet. What was all the noise about then?

She froze once she realized there were screams of men and women coming from outside. Her eyes widened when she took hold of her senses, and bolted out of her bed, dread engulfing her.

She quickly ran and grab her gladius and slammed the door open to a display of horror.

They had been ambushed by the Roman forces.

A soldier came running at her as soon as she opened the door, she barely avoided the blow then stabbed the soldier in his back with her gladius.

" Spartakus! " She yelled at the top of her lungs, the field around her was lit on fire by the torches the Roman forces had brought to burn them alive in their sleep.

" Spartakus! " She kept calling out after him, unsure if her voice would even be heard over the commotion.

" Die bitch! " 

A soldier in red decided to try his hand at her, and leapt forard with his spear in hand, aiming for her shoulder. 

She crouched, then used the oppurtunity to thrust her gladius deep inside, it's blade coming out the other end of his body. She tossed him to ground and dashed forward at another man coming at her, throwing her gladius at him in a manner that it'd pierce his heart.

The soldier sidestepped and came forward, she rolled over on top of him, putting her hand on his back when he had missed her, then swiftly grabbing her gladius from the ground and buried it in his back. 

She picked up the dead soldier's spear, again calling out after the commander. " Spartakus! Where are you?! "

" Kassandra! "

She rapidly turned her face to see Crixus. He was caught between two soldiers, one of which he stabbed in the heart by pulling out a hidden dagger from the soldier's own greaves. The other met his end at the tip of his gladius.

" Kassandra! We've been ambushed! " He called out after her, grabbing a fallen soldiers gladius and reaching for her.

" I know! Where is Spartakus?! " Her hair was blowing freely, getting in her face while she was talking. She didn't even have the time to tie it up. " Where is he?! "

" I don't know! I haven't seen him either! Stay close!"  
  
The battle around them wasn't ending any time soon. They steadied their stance and stood back to back to defend themselves from danger at all angles.

Kassandra tightened her grip on the spear, as did Crixus on his sword when a group of soldiers approached them. 

" Let's dance. " Crixus turned his face to the side, waiting for Kassandra's approval to engage the men.

" Let's. " 

He got it, and he went for it.

He took out one of them by a single horizontal strike to his chest, the other blocked his attack with his shield but learned the error of his ways when Kassandra came from behind, her spear going straight into the man, killing him.

The remaining men came at both of them at once. Kassandra quickly grabbed and used the fallen soldiers shield to protect herself and Crixus, carefully blocking their attacks and waiting for an opening.

" Now! " Crixus stepped from behind the shield as Kassandra bashed two of the soldiers with her shield, the dark haired man used the moment to run towards them and slice both of their heads away with a strong swing of his blade. 

Kassandra took care of the remaining one, bashing him hard in the head with the shield, cracking his skull open. 

" You fight good. " Crixus handed her a compliment in the middle of a fight, what exactly did he hope to achieve by that?

Kassandra opened her mouth to put the man in his place but another soldier was coming towards him from the back with full force. 

She threw away her shield, and came sprinting towards Crixus like a lightning bolt, " give me a boost! "

Crixus didn't even have the time consider anything else since she was coming at him with enough force to kill him with just the impact, he gathered his hands and lifted her up, launching her high in the air.

He turned around just at the right time to see her embed her spear in the soldier that had been aiming for him, his lifeless body laying on the ground, the momentum from the boost necessary to break through his armor.

" Flashy much? " He was jealous. He could never do that, everything he did, Kassandra did better. Fuck it, he felt left behind by a woman.

" Shut up and find Spartakus! " She couldn't care less about what he thought, she needed to find Spartakus.

They both ran into the heart of the battle, battling their way through all those who stood in their way.

The air around them smelled of death and smoke.

Even with their joined forces, Crixus and Kassandra still couldn't find Spartakus and Oenomaus as well, both of them nowhere to be found. That is, until Crixus' eyes happened on a man in the far distance, holding his ally by the hair.

" Kassandra, look! "

Kassandra brought her eyes to where he was pointing at. From what the fire around them allowed her to see, it was a man dressed in military attire.

Their commander from what she could tell.

" Crixus, no! Wait! "

Crixus didn't wait for her and headed in that direction, slaughtering everyone one by one. No one hurt his allies, not on his watch. Kassandra went after him, but got swarmed by a dozen of Roman soldiers, restricting her access to Crixus.

" Let go of him! " Crixus screamed above the howls of soldiers and his men alike, drawing closer to the commander by each passing second. His lungs were burning, but he didn't stop. 

He got close enough to make out who it was, the ground from underneath his feet escaping him once he realized who it was.

It was his friend.

" Hey! You son of a whore, let him go! " He swinged his gladius at the soldier who came at him from the side, almost cutting him in two. 

" Get him. " The commander instructed the soldiers around him to teach Crixus a lesson. A lesson that taught him not to mess with the law.

Crixus got outnumbered by one to six. But he wasn't going to let this keep him from his friend. He tried his best at fighting all six of them, but he failed.

" Hold him! " A soldier hit him in the face with a punch, making him drop his weapon. The rest followed suit, attacking him until he couldn't take it anymore.

One of them knelt down to grab his gladius and end his life once and for all.

" Don't kill him yet! I want him to watch. " The commander hollered from behind them, a maniacal smile breaking out on his face as turned Oenomaus and made him face his friend, holding him by his hair.

The soldiers did as instructed and restrained him, three of them holding him back, the other three with their blades pointed at him should he try to make a run for it. 

" Let him go you— " He got smacked hard in the face, spitting blood on the ground. 

Oenomaus managed to open his eyes, his face was crimson. He was losing blood, his injuries were far too grave for him to survive even if he did make it out of this hell by some chance.

" Let go— " The more he spoke, the harder the hit would be. He couldn't let him die like this, he would fight for him.

Kassandra could see it all happening from the corner of her eye, but how could she make it to them when she was fighting off groups of these soldiers by themselves? 

" Spartakus! Where are you?! " She kept screaming over and over again, soldiers meeting Charon at the edge of her blade with each second. 

Her heart was beating fast, she could teleport now and risk it if she wanted to save Oenomaus. Or stay still and watch it all unfold.

  
The commander delicately unsheathed his gladius, bringing it up on Oenomaus' neck. This would be a show the boys would remember for years to come, to remind them to never cross the Republic.

" No! No, stop no! " Crixus knew, he knew what the commander was going to do. 

" Brother… " Oenomaus managed to let it out, he knew he was breathing his last. He couldn't let his friend blame himself for this, because he knew Crixus would. 

" Please, don't! " Crixus' voice broke, his friend was going to die and he was sitting there still, unable to do anything about it. Tears were already streaming down the man's eyes. " Stop, take me instead! " He would trade his life for Oenomaus' if it meant his friend would get to see another day. He had endured enough because of him. 

He wasn't supposed to die like this. _No_ , _no_ , _no_ , _no._

" Crixus, look at me… " Oenomaus gave him the brightest smile he ever had, a smile to thank for all the times they had shared together. For the past decade they had spent courageously, and for the memories they had made together. " I love you, brother. "

" No, please no.. " He couldn't even speak anymore, his will was broken.

" Good night Oenomaus. " The commander didn't waste a second as he slit Oenomaus' throat, killing two birds with one stone.

Crixus' cry of pain was heard all over the battlefield, grabbing Spartakus' attention who was more than a few yards away from them, holding off the soldiers by himself. He made quick work of them and came in their direction as fast as he possibly could, eying Kassandra who was fighting hordes of them alone.

Kassandra had heard it too, her heart plummeting. She dodged every attack and made her way to where Crixus was, running past every soldier, not taking the time to fight them. Spartakus followed her close behind without Kassandra knowing.

" Crixus! " 

She launched herself at the men holding him captive, Spartakus joining her.

" I'll take care of them. Get out of here. Now! " 

Crixus had lost control, he got up pushing Kassandra away and grabbing the nearby gladius and heading straight in the commander's direction who was nowhere to be seen now.

Kassandra followed after him, holding him by his shoulders, trying to get him back to his senses. 

" Crixus! Snap out of it! "

" Let go of me! " He started squirming, resisting. 

His best friend was dead. The man he owed his life to was dead.

He collapsed on the ground, sobbing and hiding his face behind his crimson hands. He failed.

Kassandra pivotted around to see what had become of the soldiers fighting Spartakus, they were all dead. The battle itself had ended too.

They had won, but lost many of their men. Oenomaus had fell too.

Kassandra knelt beside him, putting her hand on his back. " I'm sorry, Crixus. I'm sorry I wasn't— "

" Crixus! " Spartakus came from behind them, discarding his weapon. " What happened?! " He questioned Kassandra wistfully. He was distraught as well, he had lost a friend too.

" Their commander. He killed him. " Kassandra answered Spartakus after some delay, feeling guilty for the man's death. " It's my fault…I'm sorry I didn't make it to him in time and.. "

" It's no one's fault. " He didn't let her finish. It wasn't their fault, none of it was their fault. 

Spartakus came forth and pulled Crixus into an embrace, he was a broken man who had just lost his friend. The pain was too much to handle, at the very least he could be there for him, give him a shoulder to cry on.

Sadness was tugging at her heart, but it was Lyssa that consumed Kassandra's whole being. She'd make all of them pay.

Oenomaus may have been the quietest among them, but she knew him enough to know he was a righteous and courageous man. One who held honor above all.

She got up, and went towards where Oenomaus lay dead. " He was as brave in death as he was in life. He's died a hero's death, he shall be buried as one too. "

And by Zeus, he would be sent off as a champion of his cause. Spartakus wasn't going to let this slide by either, he would make the bastard pay with his life. No matter who it would be.

The fire around them had been extinguished by their allies, all that remained by now was the lone shine coming from the moon that glowed above them. It brought nothing but a winter night with pain and death. 

The Romans had lost once more, but this time, it shook the very core of Spartakus' army by taking away one of it's commanders from him. 

The reaction the Republic would recieve now, it'd leave them wishing they hadn't picked a fight with in the first place.

Revenge was going to be swift, and soon.

  
...

  
Oenomaus' death had instilled fear in his men's hearts for the first time since they had escaped. Crixus still wasn't himself, he didn't eat, didn't drink, didn't sleep. He had been this way for close to three weeks.

All that he could think of was vengeance.

He stormed inside Spartakus' tent one day, having lost his patience.

" Spartakus. I need men. "

Spartakus had been caught in a conversation with Kassandra, one that centered on the approach they'd need to take if they wanted to lead slaves out of Italy.

" What for? " 

" You might have forgotten Oenomaus' death. I haven't. His murderer still lives. "

Kassandra got up from the chair, and interjected herself between the two of them. There was bound to be a fistfight if Crixus didn't change his way of talking. " Calm down. Have a seat, let's talk it out. "

He gave her a once over, not caring about what she had just said. Losers, all of them.

" Give me what I want, or I'll take it myself. "

" You'll do no such thing. " Spartakus came forward with a stern look on his face, Crixus was an idiot who'd lead his men straight into their graves. He didn't know a thing about battle tactics. " You barely know anything about— "

" Have it your way, commander. "

He didn't even listen to what Spartakus was saying, and got out of his dwelling. Spartakus knew he would do as he pleased, Jupiter protect him.

" You're not going to stop him? " Kassandra asked him cluelessly, why would he let him go knowing he was likely to die?

" No. He'll do whatever he wants anyway. " 

And he was right. Crixus wouldn't listen to him, or to anyone else. Vengeance had absorbed him to the extent it was the only thing he cared about now.

" But what if he dies? " Maláka, she was feeling somewhat concerned for his well-being. He was an ass, true, but that didn't mean he had a heart of stone. He was aching, why wasn't Spartakus recognizing that?

" Death should never take precedence over life. " 

Hazel eyes refused to acknowledge the man who stood in front of them as Spartakus. Spartakus cared for his men, why would he say something like that, something that sounded so indifferent?

" Did you even hear yourself just now? "

" I know it sounds harsh but it's the truth. " He closed his eyes, controlling his emotions from getting the best of him. 

Order. He couldn't afford to let his army be disorganized because of one impulsive action, there was no place in his force for men who acted on impulse as it brought nothing but devastation with it.

" Spartakus are you out of your mind? He'll die! " Kassandra snapped at him, and with good reason. " Stop him or at least let us go with him! "

" I said no! " He slammed his hand on the table he was standing beside, " If he seeks death, then let him be! "

Kassandra stood there silent, the man in front of her eyes looking like an outsider, she searched his eyes for even a speck of emotion, but they were void of it all.

" I'm sorry…I, I apologize. " 

Spartakus took several moments to verbalize this, but he didn't look one bit guilty, except maybe he did feel bad for shouting at her.

" I thought he was your friend. " Kassandra left him, letting the words speak for themselves, heading out into the clearing they had made a camp on.

She could see men and women training on one side, and merrymaking on the other. She decided to join the latter to get her mind off of it all. 

  
" Make space for the lady! "

The men and women made space for their commander, one they had learned to respect as much as they respected Spartakus. She had led them to victory on several occassions, earned their loyalty.

They'd follow her even in death.

Kassandra sat down near a woman, having the time of her life with her comrades.

" I hope my commander's having a good day. " She spoke cordially, sitting at a comfortable distance from her superior.

" Call me Kassandra, " She smiled at her, there was no reason to refer to her as commander, she was their equal. " Have you seen Crixus? "

" He left with some men, plenty of them. " 

" Where did he go?! " Kassandra began feeling anxious, had the fool really taken off just like that?

" He didn't tell any of us, he just gathered them. He's probably out there raiding and plundering. " The woman didn't seem the least bit concerned either, just like Spartakus. Maybe because all of them fully aware of Crixus' actions, thinking it likely he would plunder and raid nearby settlements just for the sake of it. 

Dread began creeping on her now. The fool had gone to his own death.

She got up, heading straight for Spartakus.

" Spartakus! He's took off! " She came in, already looking around for her gladius that she had left there. " I'm going after him. "

" Are you out of your mind? " Spartakus came forward, what exactly was she thinking? " He's— "

" I don't care, I'm going after him. " 

She locked eyes with him, holding eye contact in hopes of making the man change his mind. A few seconds seemed to last an eternity as neither of them refused to let go of their tenets.

Aletheia was right. She was chaos, he was order. Together, the keepers of the balance.

" I'm off. "

Kassandra veered around, her lorica hamata shining underneath the sun that was out in it's full glory now, it's luminescent rays sneaking inside from the entrance of the tent.

" You'll die if you go alone. " This was the last tactic he had up his sleeve to stop Kassandra from going there alone because he knew, he knew she wouldn't sit still.

" I'm immortal. I won't. " Kassandra didn't turn around to look at his face, she felt disappointed in him.

She was immortal, true, and yes, she couldn't die. But she could still feel agonizing pain whenever threatened with a fatal injury. She'd lose consciousness each time, the staff bringing her back to life within hours, or days if the injury was worse. She avoided death though, preferring not to go through feeling like she had a thousand needles poking her at the same time, with the force of a spartan kick.

Kassandra whistled for her horse, she was in a hurry. Crixus couldn't have gone far, she could catch up to him if she was fast enough. All she needed was to pick up his trail, and teleport once far enough from the camp.

" Wait! " Spartakus stepped out of the tent, calling after her. Maybe he had changed his mind, after all. " Kassandra! "

Kassandra didn't want to argue with him once more, she reluctantly faced him, uncertainty clouding her. " What is it? "

Shrieking noises came from the sky above, she looked up to find Aquila circling her, and perching itself on her shoulder, ending her flight. 

" She'll keep an eye on you, I'll know if something's wrong. " 

Well, at least that's better than nothing at all.

Kassandra nodded her head, not speaking anything else. She got up on her horse, and rode away leaving specks of dust behind as Phobos began galloping, crossing the threshold of the camp within seconds.

A few of his faithful assembled besides their commander, suddenly questioning why Kassandra had left Spartakus behind. They were a special group of morons amongst the fairly honorable rest, who never listened to anyone else other than Spartakus, always holding Crixus as a mad man and calling Kassandra as something even the lowest of lowlifes wouldn't.

He could hear them murmuring amongst themselves, some of them even talking about things he could never even conceive of. One in particular unsettled him, boiling his blood.

" Maybe she didn't get a good fu— " 

Fury consumed the spear bearer as he grabbed the man by his tunic, throwing him to ground and straddling him, the sudden commotion grabbing the attention of soldiers who were going about their day.

 _How dare you say that about her_.

" What did you say?! " He punched him hard in the face, breaking his tooth. Ire was coursing through his veins. " How dare you say that about her! "

He overwhelmed the man, losing control over himself. He made an example out of him, his blows getting harder with each second.

" Spartakus! Stop you'll kill him! "

Servius, the elderly man Spartakus never went against, came to him, making his way from the crowd that didn't dare get in their commander's way.

" Get a grip over yourself! " He immeditaely grabbed Spartakus by his shoulders, yelling for his comrades around to help him. " You there! Help me, now! "

Three men, brave enough to potentially risk getting kicked out from the army, helped Servius in getting hold of Spartakus who was still not letting go of the man beneath him, he had ripped apart his tunic, given him hell.

They managed to rip him away from the unfortunate soldier, he pulled out his hands from their grips aggressively, his bloodshot eyes sending chills down his men's spines once he turned around, yelling at them so they wouldn't dare say anything about Kassandra ever again.

" If I ever hear anyone ever again talk about soror meus like that, I'll kill them by my own hands! " 

His throat tightened once he realized what he had just done, had just said, unable to form words anymore, he looked at his men with sudden defeat in his eyes.

He called her his sister for the first time in the two years he had spent with her. In front of his men. Exposed his weakness like that, acted on impulse. The very thing that had stopped him from going after his long time friend.

He stomped his feet in the ground in frustration at his own self and stormed inside his abode, throwing away the items resting on the table, sinking down to the ground in realization of what he just witnessed himself do.

Spartakus was a proud man. A commander leading his force against the oligarchy, he hadn't shown his emotions like that ever before, couldn't afford to. He only showed himself with Kassandra when the night offered them moments of solitude, to let them live what they couldn't with their brothers.

He never admitted it to himself, but now, everything was stacked against him. He held her dear, and couldn't never look at her with vile intentions in his eyes.

Never.

" What am I doing… ", he murmured to himself, holding his head in his hands. Friendship was inevitable between them, this he knew. 

But the bond of consanguinity came down on them without warning. As days turned into weeks, he still didn't know what to do about the divine source as Kassandra kept asking him about it, it was the only thing other than the rebellion on his mind.

If he took it, he'd become immortal, accompanied by the woman he had found a sister in. It was tempting. Very. But what good was eternal life when he would have to become a slave again, a slave to the mission Kassandra had surrendered herself to?

He couldn't stop feeling like he was betraying her, using her for his own cause.

He stood up from the ground, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath he took. He needed to get this all off his head, going into deep slumber was probably the best option.

" … I should probably sleep it off. " He laid down on his bed, taking off his sandals and closing his eyes once he lay there.

It was still only noon, there was work to do, troops to train. But a few hours delay never hurt anyone, the zephyrs were blowing swiftly, the heat wasn't that much of a hindrance in falling asleep.

His troops had learnt a lesson from one of their comrade's mistake, they all had retreated back to their own dwellings once Servius had dispersed the men, reprimanding them for blurting nonsense, for not thinking before they spoke. 

" Go now everyone. Be careful next time, you don't want to anger Spartakus like that again. " Two soldiers held the battered and bruised man and took him away with them, to nurse his wounds. And possibly make fun of him for getting his ass handed to him once he got better.

Servius threw a glance at Spartakus' tent, unsure if he should go inside and check on him. He had never reacted this way.

He and his fellows spent the time granted to them by their commander's outburst to their leverage, quickly forgetting what had happened and drinking themselves into oblivion, recounting their adventures, boasting about their heroic deeds. 

The light was leaving now, the sun was going down. But Spartakus still hadn't come out even after close to six hours of being in the tent. 

" He must be thoroughly sleep deprived… " Servius talked to himself, sipping the last of his wine. He had been Spartakus' mentor all these years, almost having raised the boy his own. He had gave up his own meals just so he wouldn't starve to death.

He thought Spartakus his own son, one that had freed him instead of selling him as a slave.

And he was right. Spartakus hadn't slept properly since they had gotten ambushed that fateful night, always patrolling the camp himself, getting an hour or two's worth of rest once morning took over. Kassandra and Crixus had protested many times, but he politely refused them.

His army was his responsibility. Not theirs.

But a nightmare was gnawing at him, cunningly creeping up on him under the cover of the diminishing daylight.

" Kassandra! " 

His spell broke as he woke up screaming her name, sweating profusely, his heart about to burst into a million pieces. He quickly got out of his bed, hastily changing into his lorica hamata and tucking his gladius inside his balteus, leaving his abode.

" Servius! Gather the men! We ride, now! " 

He had seen life leaving her body. That wasn't possible, she was immortal. But he couldn't take the chance, he had to get to her right now.

He ran in his horse's direction, mounting it and hollering after his men, commanding them to follow him as he took off. 

His troops didn't know what had just gotten into their commander, but whatever he said, they did. 

" Follow me now! "

The men had been gathered in full zeal, already dressed and his cavalry ready for their next order.

" Ride! " 

He led his troops in full force, thousands of his men galloping behind him, passing from inside the forest. Spartakus was miles ahead of them, keeping his eyes focused for any clue, anything that would help him find Kassandra and Crixus, give hints about their whereabouts.

They had been bolting forward, Spartakus cursing himself with each passing zephyr that blew his thick brown locks in his aghast face. _Why did I have to do that? Why did I let her go alone_?

But then Aquila came.

" Aquila! " 

The eagle kept shrieking from above him, his vision switching back and forth between a bird's eye view of the mountainous region and his immediate line of sight. 

_Focus_.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to scrutinize the area by using his eagle vision.

A ruined camp was a few miles ahead of them, smoke coming up from there. Aquila, too, was heading in that direction, leading Spartakus to his comrades who had hopefully not fallen in battle.

" Faster! " 

Spartakus' horse neighed, already galloping at it's fastest as it jumped over a chasm between the two cliffs separating the region. His men were following him close behind, the trotting of their horses echoing throughout the terrain.

He hastily unmounted his horse, not even waiting for it to halt it's canter. 

His gladius was already unsheathed, aching to cut the heads off of all those who had dare touched his people. And if they had so much as touched Kassandra and Crixus, he'd make their cries of begging for mercy heard throughout Rome.

The grass around him was damp with fresh blood as he yelled out his friend's name, and screaming for Kassandra at the same time. He looked around himself in horror, all of the men had been slaughtered. Killed without mercy.

" Crixus! Kassandra! " He pivotted around, only to turn back and frantically look for anyone who was alive, had escaped deaths grip. " Look for anyone who's alive! "

His men unsheathed their swords, and scouring the area for those who still lived alongside their leader. Maybe a few still lived.

" Kassandra! Crixus, where are you?! " 

Spartakus felt fear. For the first time in his life, he felt terrified of what may have befell his men, and the only two people he held dear.

People he had let go to preserve order.

He had made it to the far end of the battlefield, when he saw her.

Kassandra was standing there, blood dripping from her hands, her lorica hamata all ruined with crimson blood.

" Kassandra! " He threw away his gladius, barely keeping up on his toes as he dashed towards her calling her name again. 

He froze once he became aware of who it was she standing beside, surrounded by dead bodies of both sides. He stopped a few steps behind of her, he couldn't force himself to come forward, to look at what he had brought upon his friend.

" I tried asking him to stop. " Kassandra broke the silence between them, her voice scratchy as if she had been screaming for the entire time he had spent searching for her. " But he wouldn't listen. "

He didn't know what to say. Guilt was all he could feel, vehemous guilt terrorizing him, maybe if he had listened to her things would have been different.

" Why have you come here? " Her voice sounded foreign, Spartakus wasn't even sure it was Kassandra he was talking to. " It's not like you to act impulsively. "

" What do you mean? He was my— "

" Don't say that if you don't mean it! " Kassandra turned around, half of her face was also smeared with blood, her injured forearms exposed from beneath the torn tunic under the armor. She had never looked at him like this before, with rage burning in her bloodshot hazel eyes, ire spread across her glaring face. " He was no friend of yours! If he were, you wouldn't have— "

" He was my friend! " Spartakus matched her outburst with equal force, " How was I supposed to know this would happen?! "

" Because you were his commander! You were supposed to protect all of them! " She pointed her finger to legions of dead men lying around the battlefield, reminding Spartakus of his failure. " A leader never prioritizes ' order ' above his men. Never. "

She was right. He was the reason they were all dead, if he had listened to Crixus, had understood the pain he was going through, he never would have let him go.

" He fled. "

" Who? " Spartakus didn't understand what she had just said, forgetting his guilt for a second.

" The commander who killed them both. Lucius. " She looked at him with regret over what had passed, her eyes settling on a dead corpse of a Roman soldier wearing red.

But the visage suddenly made her remember another incoming threat. One she had made up her mind to annihilate by herself using the staffs capabilities to their max in a last ditch effort to avenge the fallen.

" Steady your men. Another force is on the way. " She went past him, grabbing a fallen's spear. 

" What do you mean? " Spartakus was confused, Kassandra could have easily gone after him, taken care of him in the blink of an eye. " You could have gone after him. "

Kassandra fastened her grip on the spear, jamming her eyes shut. " I'll tell you once we're done here. "

The way she said it, with an authoritarian tone, it left no room to argue. Spartakus knew now, Kassandra was either mad, or desolate beyond measure.

The battlefield around him was saturated with blood and overflowed with the bodies of dead soldiers. Most of them being his own men. They stood under the cover of the dark night now, darkness they could use to their advantage.

Spartakus would avenge him, Oenomaus, and his fallen men. All of them.

He left Kassandra to go and address his men, to give them the push they needed to fight valiantly after having seen their dead brothers in arms.

" Men! Today…today, " He started pacing, the fear in the eyes of his troops apparent, " Today, you lost your friends, as did I. " He looked down on his hands, hands that had the blood of almost thirty thousand unfortunate on them. " I won't let the enemy get away with that. Can't you see? They fear you, they fear what you represent. You speak for slaves who get killed if they do so themselves, you fight for slaves who died fighting on their own. "

Spartakus wanted to be a good leader, and being a good leader, meant giving your men the freedom of choice.

" And I will make them pay. But for those of you who aren't prepared to die, go. You'll still have my respect, you'll still be my men. " He picked up a fallen soldier's gladius by kneeling down, wiping away the blood on it with his bare fingers. " I choose my men today. Not myself. Not order, not victory. "

Kassandra came cantering towards him, what was he thinking? He would die, something she wasn't about to let happen. " Are you out of your mind?! You'll die! "

Spartakus paid no heed to what she had just said, instead continuing his speech. " Turn back and go if you must. "

A brave soldier came forward, fear still clouding his face but he was no coward. " You risked your life for us two years ago. You chose us. "

Another one stepped out of the formation, clearly intent on fighting by his side. " If not for you, we would have been begging to be treated as equals. You freed us from the grip of order. "

" You are right commander, " The woman from before, the one Kassandra had talked to, chimed in. " We represent everything that you made us believe in. You are our champion, you are the one who made us believe in freedom yet. If we die, we die together. "

" I agree with her, commander. " The very same soldier who felt afraid, was now burning with desire to send legions of Romans to hell. " I symbolize what you have fought for. "

The three of them chanted together, urging the other's to do the same.

" I am Spartakus! I am Spartakus! I am Spartakus!"

Their lone cries were soon joined by the thousands of men behind them, all of them chanting the same.

They were freedom. They were Spartakus.

Spartakus couldn't believe his eyes, he was sure they'd leave him alone, having witnessed him throw away the lifes of his men like that. But they didn't. They believed in him, they would follow him even in death.

" We are Spartakus! " Spartakus joined them in their chants that were bound to be heard by anyone within the region, he raised his weapon in the air valorously, recieving the same in return.

Kassandra would have felt adrenaline course through her veins too if she wasn't so distraught over the deaths she had witnessed before. But such was life, it was cruel, it was unforgiving.

The battle approached, and by Zeus the Roman force wouldn't leave the battleground alive.

  
…

  
" Servius! " Spartakus called after him, having buried the last of his fallen men. " Gather the prisoners. "

Servius didn't understand why he would request that, but he did as asked by his commander.

" What do you plan on doing with them? " Kassandra questioned his motives for that, sensing he wasn't upto something good. " Spartakus, I'm talking to you. "

He narrowed his eyes, and looked up from the grave of his friend, Crixus, who he had buried beside Oenomaus. They were brothers in life, they'd be brothers in death too. " We entertained them, now they entertain us. "

Kassandra gave him a lopsided grimace, " What has gotten into you? You avenged them, you won. Is that not enough, Spartakus? "

" They deserve this. " 

He had made up his mind to make the three hundred or so prisoners fight for their lifes by holding mock gladiator games of his own. To wash away the dishonor on his and all his friends name. 

" Spartakus! " Kassandra closed the gap between them, clutching him by the shoulders. " Snap out of it already! "

" Let go of me! " He pushed her hands away from himself, his resolve was bound to crumble if she kept at it.

" You're not like them! What happened to thinking logically?! " She was arguing with him, their quarrel drawing the attention of Servius. " You're not like this, this isn't you! "

Spartakus didn't answer. He wasn't like them, true, but he lost both of his friends to those bastards. They deserved to die. But then there would be no difference between him and the oligarchy that used living, breathing people as toys.

" If you want to do that, you'll have to go through me. " Kassandra took a step back, she wasn't going to let Spartakus become someone he wasn't. 

Okay, Spartakus didn't stand a chance against her. He knew this full well. And neither did he wish to fight the only person he had left to protect, to cherish.

" Have it your way. " 

He stormed away, leaving Kassandra there alone.

" I'm sorry. " Servius apologized to Kassandra, on Spartakus' behalf. " He's grieving, perhaps even blaming himself for it all. "

" It's not his fault, but he could have prevented it! " Kassandra threw her hands up in the air in defeat, Spartakus was one difficult man. One moment she thought she knew all about him, the other she couldn't believe it was the same man from a second ago. " He infuriates me sometimes. "

Servius chuckled, he was infuriating alright. " Tell me about it. "

" Should I go after him? " Kassandra asked him, her eyes having softened now.

" It's a bad idea. But no one quite manages to calm him down like you. " Servius passed a knowing look to her, he knew what Spartakus meant to Kassandra.

Kassandra seemed to understand it too, she nodded her head and decided to go after Spartakus who had left the encampment, probably to go by the lake there. Somewhere she always found him if he was nowhere to be found.

She put her hair up in a ponytail, the wind blowing her bangs in her eyes as she jogged her way there. And as expected, he found him there by himself.

" You alright now? " She sat down beside him underneath the night sky, but with no moon this time to cast it's glow over them.

" I don't know. " Spartakus didn't look at her, instead preferring to stare at himself in the water's reflection. " I just want this rebellion to be over with now. "

" You can always abandon the fighting and lead your men out of Italy. To freedom. " She gave him a tight-lipped smile, making an effort to appear more approachable.

" It's not that easy, " he sounded tired, and he was. Not tired of fighting, but tired of doing it over and over again with no results. " What of the slaves who still haven't found freedom? "

" I remember you saying you wouldn't go out of your way for the others, two years ago. " She put her hand on his shoulder, gently caressing it. " And here you are now, beating yourself up for those remaining to be freed. "

The words seemed to have an effect on him because the crease between his brows vanished. He had changed in the course of these two years. Had grown soft. All because of a strange woman he had encountered by chance.

Spartakus finally found the courage to look at her, sure that he would find her frowning at him because he deserved to be scowled at.

" Release the prisoners, Spartakus. " She let her hand fall down, and broke eye contact. He would never agree to this, but it was worth a shot.

" Why would I ever do that? " His mouth hung open upon hearing her request, why would she even say that? They were the ones who had killed countless many of his men, women. 

" The Republic knows we can kill. Let them know we can show mercy as well. " She bit her lip in anticipation of his answer, hopefully he'd see some reason in this.

She waited, and waited, and waited. Silence stretched between them, neither of them daring to break it. Maybe it was hopeless after all to have asked him that.

" I'll be going now. " Kassandra stood up, the night was still young and cultists were still roaming about. Just a few more clues, and then Marcus Licinius Crassus would be in her grasp, unable to escape.

What Spartakus had said to her ages ago around the campfire came ringing in her ears, he needed to hear his own advice. He was changing, had changed almost into a completely new man. There was no need to cling to the past.

" A friend once told me, don't let your past be the architect of your life. " She smiled at him, knowing he would get the undertone.

_It's okay, you were a gladiator. Not are._

_It's okay, you did what you could to protect your friends._

_It's okay, you've changed. Don't succumb to rage like I did_.

Kassandra left a mystified Spartakus behind. She had meant to bring about the topic of the divine source too, but decided it would be insensitive of her to do that.

The source could wait until after the rebellion. No one was coming after it as of yet.

The winter was at it's end. The cold, brisk, unforgiving nights would go away soon, taking the ruination away with it.

Spring was near, a spring that would mark the start of a new chronicle.

The eagle bearer would remember it till her last breath.

* * *

The room was barely big enough to exhale into, and Kassandra wanted to thrash, kill, murder every being, every soul in sight. This was the fifth time Crassus had slipped out of her hands since having been called on the battlefield by the Roman Republic. The war had been going on for close to three years now, agitating the Republic.

Spartakus was right. Crassus was untouchable.

" Curse that maláka! I'll shove my spear so far up his ass he'll be shitting iron at the gates of Hades! " She took off her galea and threw it across the room.

She had him.

Almost had him.

An entire new collection of scars on her body were crying out to be dressed, to be taken care of. The battle against him had been won, despite suffering massive losses.

" Aletheia! Tell me how to deal with him! " She screamed with all her vigor, everything she did, every strike of hers, they had no effect on him. He was immune to all of her attacks. He dodged every slash, evaded every punch as if he knew when she'd strike. 

She wanted to scream into an endless void, her frustration had never been this high.

" Tell me now or I throw away this god damn staff! " Her eyes were bulging, her face was all flushed out. She was angry, mad, burning with acrimony. " I'm talking to you Aletheia! "

" You can't harm him. "

" Shut the fuck up! " She slammed the table with her hand, flinching when the incredible force sent a shockwave throughout her already injured arm.

The battle had been the fiercest one they had fought yet. Damn those Cilician pirates, their souls deserved to wander in the endless abyss of darkness for a hundred years for betraying Spartakus and his men. 

" How the fuck am I supposed to kill him then?! " Tell me now! " Her voice was enough to rip a new dimension within her house, if you could call it that. " Aletheia! "

" Sit down, Keeper. Getting angry won't get you anywhere. "

" Maláka! Thousands died protecting their freedom again, and you expect me to sit down?! " She punched the wall she was standing besides, scratching her knuckles and blood seeping out in the process.

" You can't, and will never, be able to hit him. " 

The Isu was getting on her nerves so much she considered discarding the staff and dying just out of spite.

Spartakus had been occupied on the other side of the battle, maybe she would have had a chance if they fought that maláka together.

" I'm asking for the last time, " she steadied her breath, her voice was almost scratchy now. Yelling wasn't getting her anywhere, maybe being sarcastically polite would, " how do I kill him, My Liege? "

" You can't. He wields an Apple of Eden, you need the spear bearer's help. "

Her growing rage halted it's sprouting for a moment, Aletheia's statement bringing her back on the verge of sanity. " What do you mean? "

" The divine source. Get him to it and you might just have a chance against him. Don't let the spear bearer die, Keeper. "

" The source? What's— "

" The Apple of Eden may not grant him immortality like the staff did to you, but it provides him with invisibility, the ability to conjure up illusions. Strong enough for even you to struggle against him. " 

Everything seemed to fall in place now.

The reason Aletheia had wanted Kassandra to find the spear bearer, take him to the divine source, the reason she had asked her to not go after Crassus on her own.

And it angered Kassandra even more.

" You couldn't have told me before?! All these years that I wasted, do you have any idea what we've been through?! " Her accent always got thicker when she was angry, beads of sweat were trickling down her forehead, but all she wanted was to thrash someone to let out her anger. 

" Would you have listened? "

" You always say that like I have a choice! " She wiped the back of her hand on her forehead, her hazel eyes were afire with malice. " You, Pythagoras, you both took it all away from me a long time ago! So don't go around asking me about my choice because I don't have one! " Her voice quivered just as she let out the last part and stormed outside her room.

Silence.

Only the occasional chirping of a sparrow and her newborn that had made it's nest in the tree just outside her room were all she could hear. 

" Cowards. All of you are cowards! " She balled her hands into fists, the loss they had suffered was a bad omen. If this kept going on, Crassus would not only win the rebellion, he'd also kill Spartakus. 

_I can't let that happen_ , she quickly dashed where Spartakus was, sitting by the funeral pyre for his fallen comrades. He felt defeated too, hadn't talked since after the battle.

" Spartakus! We need to talk. " She came running towards him, worrying the man with all her scars still not dressed. " In your tent. Now. "

" Easy. Why haven't you taken care of these wounds yet? " He stood up from beside Servius, letting his gladius sit in the old man's lap.

" These can wait. We have to talk. Now. " She was out of breath, in physical pain too but she had to shove it to the back of her mind for now.

" But— "

" Please. " She put her hand on his shoulder, and gestured for him to follow her inside his place. 

Spartakus knew she wouldn't be swayed. He nodded and followed her, did exactly as she asked.

" Sit down. " Kassandra pulled out a chair from underneath the table, and felt slightly embarrassed. The room was in shambles, " I uh, sorry about the mess. "

" No problem. " Spartakus sat down, and crossed his arms. He knew something was going in her mind, probably a plan or something. He wasn't feeling talkative yet, but he couldn't put her off like that, she knew beforehand he was not in the mood. Something extremely urgent must have been the reason she came running towards him.

" How long have we been putting off the divine source now? " She asked tentatively and sat down in front of him in her bed, she needed to look him in the eyes the whole time. This was the most inappropriate time to talk about it, but she had to.

Crassus was their mutual enemy now. Five skirmishes in a few months was no joke.

" Is this really the time and place for this, Kassandra? " Spartakus knelt forward, visibly annoyed at her probing question.

" Yes. If you want to kill him and win the rebellion. Yes. " She answered him firmly, never breaking eye contact.

Now came the hard part.

" How many times have we both fought him? " She kept moving back and forth between biting her lip and chewing on the insides of her cheeks, this was going to be incredibly hard to get across. To convince a man to abandon his fellowmen and follow her into somewhere only Zeus knew.

" Many. What's the point? "

" Just listen to me. We never managed to get a clean hit on him, remember what you said about me knowing all your tactics? " She began fumbling with her fingers, time for her leap of faith. " He seems to know mine. It's because he has an artifact with himself, similar to the one I have. "

" What? No way! He's just a— "

" No, no. He's not just a supreme commander who also happens to be the leader of the cult, he's also in possession of an Apple of Eden. " She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, there was no gentle way to put it. " But we can take him on, ….if you take the divine source. We can beat him together, then. "

Spartakus knew it was coming. The dreaded question he had tactfully avoided ever since the beginning.

Because he had no intention of taking the divine source whatsoever. He had seen immortality first hand, had seen a woman used in the name of protecting those who didn't deserve her protection.

Mankind, it did not deserve Kassandra.

" Please, Spartakus. I know it sounds selfish, but think about it. Men, women, everyone we hold dear will keep dying as long as he lives. " Kassandra knelt forward, and held his hands with her own. She needed him, his help.

It wasn't about the mission anymore. It was about killing a tyrant and protecting her brother. It was personal now.

" …How far is it? " Spartakus was at a crossroads, but there was no harm in asking how far he'd have to travel. If it were close enough, maybe he'd consider it if even for only a fleeting moment.

" It's a months ride on horseback. If we ride fast enough, we can get to it before Crassus— "

" A months ride?! " 

Spartakus pulled his hands away from hers and stood up from his chair in one brisk motion. A month was more than enough time for Crassus to defeat his force, crucify them, resurrect them and crucify them again.

" Spartakus, no good will come out of engaging hin over and over again. Listen to me, please. " Kassandra stood up, this time holding Spartakus by his shoulders. " I'm not saying this because it's my mission. No, I couldn't care less about it. It's about the rebellion and you, now. "

" I won't leave my men alone in the face of death. " 

" Then have them follow us! They can live there peacefully, somewhere only we know! " Kassandra was throwing her last attempts in her fight against him, she couldn't just let him go to his death.

" I've always valued freedom. Inheriting the divine source would mean relinquishing what I've sought my whole life. " He stepped back, he knew what he was going to say next would break her heart. " I'm sorry Kassandra but.. the truth is that I've used you. For my own cause. " 

" You think I don't know? " Kassandra knew it all along, she knew a man like that would never abandon his freedom, never be a slave again. " I've known since the beginning. "

" Then why didn't you leave? Why did you stay? " The stiffness on his face softened, if she knew then why did she still stick with him?

" I let my brother die once, I won't let him die again. " She wanted to say more, tell him more. Her voice was already on the verge of trembling, she'd even beg if she had to if that's what it'd take to convince him.

" Kassandra, " he gently pushed her hands aside, creating distance between her and him, " I can't. I'm sorry. "

" Tell me why. Give me one good reason why. " Kassandra felt utterly hopeless. Defeated. How could she just allow him to go to his death? The grand scheme of the universe could fuck itself for all she cared, but why was he ready to die like that?

" Have you not seen? " He turned his back towards Kassandra, not wanting her to see the gloom on his face. " The men are tired of fleeing. Hiding. They've been attacking Crassus' force without my command. The discipline is gone. "

 _It left when Oenomaus and Crixus did_.

" If I leave them, they die alone. And if I stay, I— "

" Die with them... " Kassandra wanted to reach forward and pull him in an embrace. She could feel a mewl rising in the back of her throat, she knew loss was headed her way again. " Spartakus, please don't.. "

" I'm sorry... " His own voice was no louder than a whisper, he was sure he'd be able to see the torment in her eyes if he turned around. " I hope you can forgive me, Kassandra. "

Tears were welling inside his own eyes, he didn't want to face her like that. He was a strong man, a brave commander who'd die alongside his men. 

Early in the fight, he had wanted to just throw away the rebellion and flee alongside his men, lead them to safety and freedom. But the visions the spear of Leonidas had shown him prevented him from doing so, aside from the slaves he wanted to rescue. They had shown him what awaited him if he chose to lead his men out of Italy. 

" What the pythia said about your grandfather.. " He spoke above the silence, still hesitant to turn around. " That the Spartans would either lose their king to the Persians, or their freedom.."

" Wh-what are you talking about? " Kassandra arched her eyebrows, unable to comprehend why he would say that. 

" His spear showed me something too. " 

Spartakus gathered the courage to finally face Kassandra, he turned around on one of his foot. Careful the emotion inside him wouldn't pour out. " It showed me what awaited me if I took it. "

" What.. do you mean? " Kassandra was curious to know, just how much had the spear shown him exactly?

" The cult would kill you, take away the staff from you. Another order would come after me then, kill me as well. All of this will be for nothing. "

" That is how all should be, this is the way it's intended to be. " Aletheia took the oppurtunity to appear in front of them both, her appearence a miracle in itself. " If you don't take the source, I know not what may happen. "

Spartakus was startled at first, but soon remembered it must be the precursor Kassandra had told him about. " You must be… Elythia? "

" Aletheia, what is he talking about? What about the heir of memories you told me about? " Kassandra had so many questions, if her death was written at the hands of the cult, then what was this heir bullshit she had been fed by Aletheia all these years? 

" It was supposed to have been your fate, had he not appeared. He's an anomaly, one that's changed your fate too by being in existence. " 

" What happens if I don't take it? " Spartakus inquired the Isu, secretly praying some good may come out of challenging the already decided flow of time.

" I don't know. It could be devastation, utter and absolute chaos. The balance would be tipped in it's favor. You are law and order personified. Your job is to be by the Keeper of the Staff's side, till time finally claims you. "

" If you don't know what's going to happen, then I'm not obliged to do to as you say. If it's death that awaits me, then I'd rather die on my own terms. " He brushed her off, and then left without another word.

He had decided what he wanted to do. If the Isu didn't know what awaited the world if he'd die, there was no proof it'd be necessarily something bad. Maybe his death would bring about a new age, pave a new way for justice, equality, and love to flourish.

Or maybe, he wouldn't die at all. It was wishful thinking, but being optimistic never hurt anyone.

" The heir of memories still exists, Keeper. But your death is now written by the hands of the cult. The heir will find the staff, reclaim it from them. You need not worry— " The emotionless Isu had been trying to console Kassandra, not knowing what the cause of her grievance was.

" Aletheia, just....leave. Please. " Kassandra didn't know why anguish was consuming her right now. Was it the part about her death being at the hands of the cult gnawing at her? At the hands of those who had wronged her family? Was it because she was lied to? Or was it because she was going to lose someone dear to her once more?

She didn't know. And she wanted to be left alone.

Aletheia had left, asking Kassandra one final time to urge Spartakus to take the divine source.

Kassandra shut the door in front of her, her whole body refusing to cooperate, trembling and shaking all over.

Her vision was all blurred now, tears had already started cheating their way out of her solemn hazel eyes as she sat on her bed, taking her head in her bloody hands. Blood that had dried by now.

Kassandra collapsed on her bed, lost control and wept the most she ever had since losing her mater and brother. She wailed into the pillow, feeling conquered and like a failure.

 _I lost the battle before it even begun_ , was all she was thinking over and over again. She felt used, lied to, and cheated on. 

And Spartakus. She'd have to see him die too, if not here in battle assuming he survived by some miracle, then of old age. Death was inevitable for normal human beings, she'd have to witness it one way or the other.

Kassandra was alone with her pain, suffered alone the entire night as minutes turned into hours, her tears refusing to dry. If only someone was there to hold her tight, tell her everything was going to be alright.

Morpheus took pity on her, allowing her broken and battered soul to fall asleep. 

  
The next day wasn't forgiving either. It was fight or flight today. Crassus had them surrounded from every corner, word of reinforcements arriving had also been doing rounds for a few days.

Spartakus was fully aware of it all too.

" Servius! Bring me my horse! " Spartakus was already dressed, even if it was early in the morning. His soldiers were awake, only a few thousand of them remained. They had no choice but to fight today, for there was no place for them to escape to. They were dressed in full armor too, enemy would strike at them any time they damn well pleased. They needed to be prepared for surprise attacks.

Servius brought Spartakus his mount, a gallant black steed. It reminded Kassandra of her horse Abraxas that had an unusual orange pattern on it, earning itself the name ' the fiery horse from underworld. '

She was afraid she'd end up sobbing all over again if she saw him up close, watching from the sidelines was a better option. She stood at the very back of the troops, not wanting to risk it.

" The enemy has good horses. Beautiful horses. " He began circling his mount, slowly unsheathing his gladius. " If we win, they shall be ours. And if we don't.. "

" Spartakus, what are you doing? " Servius questioned his commander, not understanding what he was getting at.

" Then I shall not need any of them at all. " 

Blood splattered everywhere. One swing of his weapon was more than enough to behead his horse, enough to poise his men. Death was coming for them, glorious death that would be remembered till the end of time. 

Their one final stand against the tyranny of the Republic.

Kassandra didn't trust herself to talk, but she couldn't just let him go like that. She had to say goodbye, she wouldn't get the chance to do it later.

She treaded as slowly as she could, going past the few thousand men, bravely waiting for their commanders next order. 

Their fate, whatever it may be, didn't scare them anymore. If they died today, they'd die free men. It's what their commander had always told them before every battle.

" Spartakus, I.. " As soon as she let it out, she knew he'd sense the rue in her voice. Regret that things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to.

" You don't have to say anything. " He came close, putting his hand on her head, playfully ruffling her hair. " You'll be fine, Kassandra. "

" Please…we can still leave... " She pleaded with him, her yielding eyes begging for him to stay, for him to agree. " We can still get past Crassus men if we.. " She couldn't even finish what she wanted to say, covering her face with one of her hands. Crying was out of the question, she couldn't let him and his men see.

She quickly removed her hand, trying her damndest to suppress her emotions. A battle was ahead of them, she couldn't fight in a state like this.

" I never told you this but, my mother was Spartan. " Spartakus came forward, and put his hand on her armor, right above where her heart was. " And she taught me that a battle might be able to strip a Spartan of his life, his will to live, his body.. " 

He removed his hand from her shining armor that glowed under the sunlight, and put it behind the back of her head, drawing her close so their foreheads would touch. " But there's one thing he never lets go of. His pride. Never let go of it, Kassandra. It's the last thing your frater wants you to do. "

_It's the reason I rejected eternal life._

" Spartakus, I.. " Her heart was threatening to burst, why did cruel fate have to do this to her again? Was taking Alexios away from her not enough? 

" I'll tell Alexios how great you were. " He pulled away to see her eyes shining with unshed tears, but both of them were too stubborn to let the other one see them vulnerable. He felt it too, the anguish, the pain, the loss. He felt it all, and he hated himself for feeling too much.

" The enemy waits. Let's give them death to wake up to. " He forced a smile, then hollered at his men.

His troops were standing in formation, spears and swords in hand, and shields to protect themselves and their brothers in arms. This was it, the culmination of a rebellion that had shaken Rome all over, had struck fear into the Republic's heart like never before.

" There's only a thousand or so of us. Make every hit count! Fight not for yourselves this time, but fight so those who come after us won't have to! They fear you, they fear all that you stand for! " His speech crushed the fears of his men, defeated the last of dread residing in them. " Fight to let them know we won't stand for slavery! Fight, because you are Spartakus! "

" Spartakus! Spartakus! Spartakus! "

The troops chanted in full accord, they were freedom. They were justice, and they wouldn't have it any another way. 

He turned around, now ready for either the last battle of his life or the most glorious one. " For freedom! "

Crassus' troops were only a few minutes away from them, hoping to starve the enemy into submission. Attacking them when they least suspect to be attacked raised their chances of losing, maybe he could be able to pull off another miracle like the one with Gaius Claudius Glaber.

Spartakus' men followed him behind under the broad daylight, sneaking their way through the dense forest. They'd attack them from behind, boost their chances of making it out alive.

" On my mark, everyone. " Spartakus whirled his blade around, his gaze unfocused because he was reminiscing the first time they had walked into battle. And they had won.

He rotated his face to look at the only surviving commander left by his side, Kassandra. How he wished Crixus and Oenomaus were there too.

" You've got my back, right? " He smiled at her, convinced somewhere in the corner of his heart it was the last time he'd get to do so.

Kassandra could only nod, then broke the eye contact by turning her face away. A lone tear crawling down her cheek which she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. 

_Why did you have to do this._

" On my mark everyone! " He could see Crassus himself at the frontline, he'd see the rebels running with weapons in hand as soon as they'd step out of the camouflage into the field. They were on the edge of the mountain, the Roman legion would have nowhere to run to if the rebels overwhelmed them.

Spartakus closed his eyes dispiritedly, the last two years of his life flashing in front of his eyes.

The nights he had spent drinking with Crixus, his friend boasting about how he was stronger than him. The days he spent strategizing with Oenomaus, amazed at his level-headed friend's intelligence and humor. 

And Kassandra. He remembered all of her.

" Now! "

He got up from his knee, leading his men into open ground.

And into Elysium if that were to be there fate.

Their decision to attack the Romans by surprise was well thought because heads started rolling once they met on the battlefield, most of the Roman soldiers unarmed when they fell one by one.

" Defend the camp and kill these dogs one by one! " Crassus unsheathed his gladius, the one with an Apple of Eden embedded in it's hilt. Similar in design to the one Alexios had, the sword of Damokles.

His trained legions had a rough start, but soon gained their ground, killing rebels without mercy, without pause. Blood was spilling, innocent blood that demanded justice. They had the advantage because of their massive numbers, not to mention the arrival of reinforcements who'd join them soon.

" Crassus! " Kassandra thrust her blade inside the soldier who had the misfortune of running towards her gladius in hand. She pulled it out ruthlessly, the sheer force with which she yanked it out splattered blood on half of her face.

She growled and lunged forward towards him, each of her blows missing it's target. She tried hitting the hilt of his sword, maybe if she could get hold of the Apple she'd be able to kill him. But every attempt of hers proved futile.

He struck her in the face, drawing out a pained groan from her as she lost her footing. 

" It's useless, Kassandra. Can't you see? " 

Crassus leapt towards her sword in hand, Kassandra barely managed to roll out of the way. She took the chance to pull out her hidden spear, to lodge it in the malákas skull. But a sudden explosion occured as soon as it made contact with him, sending her flying back.

" You do realize immortality pales in comparison to herculean strength? " 

Kassandra spat out blood, then turned to look him in the eyes, smiling cynically like the devil in disguise. " Death doesn't differentiate between the two. "

She grabbed the spear that had fallen out of her hands, resuming her fight with him.

If it weren't for the Apple of Eden protecting him, he'd have been butchered by now. She was a former mercenary with hundreds of years of expertise on her, a Roman commander would be nothing more than an amateur in front of her.

" Send these Roman dogs to their graves! " Spartakus yelled at his men, slicing and thrashing his way through dozens of soldiers that came at him.

Kassandra was nowhere to be seen, and he knew by instinct she was fighting Crassus.

A man made the poor choice of aiming for his legs with his spear, giving him the chance to trap it between his shield and the ground, and sending him to his death by driving his gladius through his skull.

He ran, looking around himself hastily for Kassandra. And he was right, she was fighting him, the Apple protecting Crassus against her every blow, and every time she'd manage to connect a hit, a sudden shockwave would send her flying back. He really was invincible.

" Crassus! " Spartakus dashed in his direction, fighting away every man in red, and engaging him in combat.

" You're still alive huh? Don't worry, I'll fix that. " Crassus took off his galea, and threw it across the battlefield, looking Spartakus in the eye. " This is what you get for crossing the Republic. "

Kassandra took his moment of distraction to strike him from behind, she knew none of it would have an effect but it was better than not trying at all. She had decided no normal sword would prove effective against him, only the blade of Leonidas could affect him should she hit a weak point.

Spartakus followed her lead, both of them attacking Crassus at the same time. Nothing much happened except both of them missed as Crassus skillfully evaded their attack.

" There's no point in trying! You are nothing but worms! " He examined the area around him, and knelt to grab a fallen soldiers shield, bashing it with his gladius. " I'll send you to Pluto myself! "

" Aim for the hilt on his sword! " Kassandra screamed above the cries of soldiers to Spartakus, not waiting for him and advancing towards the object of her ire.

They began their duel again, Kassandra blocking his blows, aiming for the hilt each time.

A soldier had decided to test his mettle against him, and as soon as he fell, two centurions marched towards Spartakus, occupying him. Spartakus could see from the corner of his eye, his men were dying with each ringing of metal he could hear. There was no way they'd be able to win.

" Hades won't be able to recognize you when I'm done with you! " Kassandra was at her best, aiming for the hilt when their weapons would clash.

She'd vanish each time Crassus would hit her, and strike at him from behind. A shockwave occured when her blade would hit him, but she'd vanish again, avoiding the brunt of it all together.

Kassandra was beginning to overwhelm him, now that she had figured out how to deal with him.

" Stop fighting like a coward! " Crassus was unable to keep up with her, and it was getting on his nerves. 

Kassandra appeared out of thin air again, not caring about anything else now. If Spartakus' men could see her using the staff's powers, so be it. Spartakus would explain it to them, if they'd be able to make it out alive.

Spartakus was having trouble with the two centurions on the other side, they had injured him, the thrust of one centurions spear leaving a big gash on his thigh. But he wasn't going to die like this. 

He evaded a spear aimed for his head by ducking at the right time, and then piercing the man's lung with his gladius. He quickly grabbed the fallen centurion's spear, swiftly avoiding the other incoming attack and driving the spear through the unfortunate centurion's back.

Now that they were taken care of, Crassus was all that remained. If he was going to die today, he was taking Crassus with himself.

" Fight me, you bastard! " He was unable to sprint like he usually would, the wound his leg making him lose blood rapidly with each passing second. But fuck it, he tried running as fast as he could and caught Crassus off guard.

He knew Kassandra had told him to aim for his sword's hilt, and he did just that, striking the hilt on his sword with the tip of his spear.

Crassus had been busy trash talking Kassandra, unable to hear Spartakus' yell from across. The Apple of Eden was now lying on the ground, the strike from the spear having caused a massive explosion that spread all three of them across the battlefield, injuring them in the process.

" Spartakus! " Kassandra tried getting up by placing both of her hands on the ground and pushing herself up. It was proving difficult but she had to. " Spartakus! Get up now! "

Spartakus was barely moving, only groaning in pain. He was already injured in the thigh, and it was almost impossible to get up now. 

" Men! Surround them and kill them now! " Crassus got up from the ground, his eyes on the Apple that glowed a few yards away from him. 

Kassandra knew what he was going to do, and there was no way she'd let him do that. She got herself up hastily, barely able to see what was in front of her. Her vision was blurred and the ringing in her ears still hadn't subsided. 

She began her advance towards the Apple, quickly grabbing a gladius from the ground as she sprinted towards the Apple, her gaze focused now. 

" You're not having that bitch! " Crassus began dashing in the same direction as her, both of them coming at the Apple.

Kassandra leapt over the Apple, gaining her balance again when she hit the ground and striking Crassus from behind with the gladius. The blade pierced his left shoulder, drawing out a groaned pain from him as he fell to the ground.

She got up in a beat and took the Apple in her hands, hiding it safely inside her armor. She brought her eyes on Spartakus who was lying some distance away from her, barely moving.

Fear began thumping at her chest. She had been so absorbed with getting the Apple that she forgot the man wasn't immortal like her and wouldn't be able to take the explosion.

" Spartakus! " She yelled at him, fumbling over her toes as she ran at him, kneeling down to take his head in her lap, tapping his cheeks so he would open his eyes.

He managed to open them after a few seconds, able to see from the corner of his eyes that the battle had been lost. Several had been made prisoners, and the rest killed. His stare was empty, almost as if he had given up.

" Spartakus, get up! Come on! " Kassandra held him by the shoulders, helping him stand up. The clinking of metal from around her made her realize, they were surrounded by men in red.

" Kassandra..go. " Spartakus poised his stance, kneeling down to pick up his gladius and his shield. 

" Are you out of your mind?! " Kassandra's eyes widened, what was he on about? There was no way she was leaving.

" I am your commander and I command you to run. Now go! " Spartakus held fierce eye contact with her, refusing to allow her to fight anymore. She had the Apple, her mission here was done.

" I refuse to follow that order. " Kassandra looked at him with the same ferocity he had, leaving no room for further argument.

Their quarrel was disturbed by Crassus, who held his bloody shoulder with his other hand. He would have died if only her aim had been better. He was injured, if he didn't recieve medical help soon, it was highly unlikely he would survive.

" Enjoy your last battle. " He hollered at the thousands of men that were with him, instructing them to surround the two and not let any of them escape. " Show them what happens to those who challenge their superiors. "

He whistled for his horse, already headed to mount it.

" You're not going anywhere! " Kassandra called after him teleporting to where he was, only to get smacked in the chest by a soldiers shield who sent her crashing to the ground.

" Kassandra! " Spartakus could barely stand, let alone walk. He tried, nonetheless, to go after her but a wall of soldiers in red stood in between him and her.

She was on the ground, clutching her chest due to pain. The impending sense of doom in her was multiplied by infinity when she heard the clashing of metal and Spartakus' howl of pain.

_No, no. No, please no._

" Spartakus! " She tried getting up, only to be pushed to the ground again by a burly soldier, giving his gladius a whirl.

" Get out of my way! " She vanished, appearing behind him and striking him in the head with her elbow.

She made way for Spartakus who was fighting legions of soldiers by himself, gravely injured.

" No! Spartakus! " Kassandra kept calling out after him, disappearing each time a soldier tried hitting her. She got her fingers on a bloody gladius once she came into sight, only to teleport again where Spartakus was.

" I thought I told you to go! Teleport! Now! " They were standing back to back, thousands of Roman soldiers in waiting around them. Spartakus was barely standing on his toes, his body quaking and trembling.

" If I go, I take you with me! " Kassandra refused yet again, she wasn't going anywhere without him.

" Enough of the talking bitch! " A soldier came at her, getting sliced in two by one horizontal swing of her gladius. His death prompted the other soldiers to attack them both at full force, overwhelming them with their numbers.

Each time he'd manage to block a hit, another strike would knock him over. Being an Isu descendant didn't mean being invincible, Spartakus learned this the hard way when a blade slashed him in the gut where his flesh was exposed.

His bloodcurdling scream sent a wave of unspeakable terror throughout her bruised and battered body. Kassandra lost her grip on the gladius she was holding, a soldier taking the oppurtunity to punch her in the face, disbalancing her.

She froze when she saw him lying there. In a pool of blood.

Kassandra instantaneously teleported to where he was, grabbing him by the arms and closing her eyes again. She had no other choice, no option at her disposal.

This had to work. 

Xanthous fog surrounded the area where they once were. The soldiers looked around for signs of them both, but they were nowhere to be found. 

  
..

Kassandra didn't know what place to think of, didn't know where to take him to. It felt like being slapped in the face when she opened her eyes and found themselves somewhere she swore to never come back to. 

On Taygetos.

" Spartakus! " She held his head in her lap, calling out his name again and again. She was scared, afraid. He was dying and there was no way she'd be able to save him. 

" Spartakus.. éla, open your eyes.. " Her quiet murmurs of pleading had now turned into muffled sobs, blood was everywhere. On her hands, on her armor, on the ground.

His blood was on her hands, like Alexios.

Spartakus could hear her, he was caught in a limbo between life and death. He did not have long.

But he gathered the strength to put his hand on top of hers with every last ounce of energy he had left in him, his eyes still jammed shut. 

" Kassandra… " He flinched as soon as he let it out, the vibrations wreaking havoc in his body. " hold my hand.. "

Kassandra held his hand tightly, tears trickling down her face and onto his head. She held his hand as steadfastly as she could, maybe she'd be able to pry his soul away from death if she held it tight enough. But each time she chanced a look at him through blurry eyes, she'd get herself broken all over again. There was no way he'd survive, his wound was fatal.

With her other hand, she reached inside the pocket sewn inside her torn tunic that was visible since her armor had been destroyed, and pulled out a lone gold coin.

For the ferryman. It was his now.

She rested her head on his chest, it's ascension each time he took a shaky breath having stopped. She pulled him into an embrace, wailing over his body that had no life left in it now.

Exactly the same way she had did when she murdered Alexios in a fit of rage. Crying over what she had done, how Alexios had left her no choice.

" I'm so sorry.. " She kept asking for forgiveness, for every second that passed, an apology drew from her mouth. " Please forgive me.. "

He was dead, like everybody else she cared about. All the time she had looked forward to, it was gone before it had even begun.

The sun was going down, hours had passed by since she appeared here with Spartakus. He deserved a hero's funeral, and he would get one.

She stood up, carrying his dead body, her tears were now dried and a gapping void was threatening to swallow her whole. Her dreary eyes were now blistering with revenge as she saw the last of daylight disappear, but this time, it wouldn't be an impulsive one.

It'd be one that left no room for escape. She had the Apple with her, safely tucked inside her armor. Crassus wasn't invincible now, she'd get him, even if it took a decade to get to him. She'd get him, plan everything, every course of action.

And she did. 

* * *

The memories had come rushing to her when she grabbed Spartakus' shield, the one given to him by his brother. It was her keepsake, to remind her of him everytime she walked into her small house.

To remind her to balance Chaos and Order, to not pick sides.

" I hope you're at peace, Spartakus. " She traced her hand over the shield, smiling at it colorlessly.

 _At least you're in a better place now, somewhere you can be free_.

" I often wonder how it would have been like if you were here with me. " She began talking to herself, placing the shield back on the rack.

Kassandra sat down on her bed, and looked out the window. The sun would rise in a few hours, she'd have to get back to Kuwaq Yaku.

She took her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes chasing away what-could-have-beens. 

Her mind had been a mess the entire night, her absurd dreams had her restless. Along with a certain brown-haired woman she had no idea how to deal with, Lara was unreadable.

The research she did on the archeologist didn't benefit her either. All she came to know through various newspapers she came across was that Lara was a mad croft just like her father, running after every little object that seemed remotely like an ancient artifact. She had wanted to locate and explore her mansion for clues as well, but she was running short on time.

Maybe Lara had come across the divine source, or knew about it? 

" That's impossible. " Kassandra answered her inner monologue by herself, if someone or something had touched or threatened the source, Aletheia would have told her, asked her to intervene. 

Thousands of years had went by, Kassandra just assumed the source was still somewhere in Russia or Siberia.

" I hope it didn't fall into the hands of the cult at least. " She whispered it to herself and stood up from the edge of the bed, throwing glances in the shield's direction every now and then.

Kassandra might have failed in protecting her brothers, but she sure as hell hadn't failed in avenging their deaths.

Aspasia and Crassus had died by her hands. 

Crassus met his fate eighteen years later, falling prey to his own greed for money, fame, and power at the Battle of Carrhae. She was there, disguised as a Parthian. It was her hand that dealt the killing blow, hoping he'd burn in the depths of Tartarus for all eternity.

She began pondering, Aletheia had said she didn't know what would happen if Spartakus died. But now that he was dead, maybe all that was happening was what was supposed to be from the beginning.

And her death would be exactly the way it was destined to be before.

It was one of the many things she had assumed all these years. All that the pyramid had shown her was supposed to happen if, and only if, Spartakus hadn't been born. But he was gone now, taking away all the deviance that could have occured with him. 

Perhaps time was set on it's original course, since she had seen all that the pyramid had shown her. She had assisted the assassins and templars it showed her.

But there was one little trifle messing with her head, making her play a guessing game. It hadn't shown countless other things either, one of them being the archeologist herself. Lara Croft.

_Maláka..I should just let it be._

" I should get back.. " She closed her eyes, sleep was a long way off, it'd be better if she got back to Kuwaq Yaku before everyone woke up, and there was no telling if the young woman was an early bird either.

She left the shield behind as she vanished into thin air, choosing to appear at the bar.

And sure enough, there was no soul in sight.

Kassandra slowly started treading her way down the stairs of the pier, her eyes picking up a golden hue coming from afar as she put her foot down on the last step.

She squinted her eyes trying to trace it's source. It came from… a lit campfire? But who would put up a camp?

She picked up her pace, careful not to make too much noise and just start running. After a minute of cantering to it's source, she was not a least bit surprised to learn it was the archeologist herself, writing in her journal.

" You're…up. " She curiously examined Lara who was sitting cross-legged around the fire, writing something in her journal, just outside a small hut she assumed was her crib.

" So are you. " Lara looked up from her journal, giving her a quick smile before focusing her attention on the journal again. 

Kassandra had slept an hour or two when nightmares decided to knock at her again, urging her to teleport back to her house on Mykonos. The air there was fresh, and free from hostility.

But Lara, had she been awake for the entire night? She wasn't sure if Lara would welcome a conversation with someone right now, it'd probably be better to just let her be by herself.

Kassandra pivotted on her feet, sure the woman wouldn't even notice she was gone. Was it rude of her? No, nobody likes to be disturbed in the dark of the night. Let alone someone who doesn't even like socializing with people.

" You can sit here. " Lara put away her journal, placing her pen in between the pages and looked up at Kassandra, giving her a sincere smile. She wanted to appear approachable, less rigid than before.

Kassandra was taken aback, this was.. weird. 

_Should I stay?_

" Uh, no..I was just going. " She scratched her cheek, making an effort to smile that turned into an expression of awkward beaming.

" It's okay. You can stay, if you want. " Lara gestured with her hand to her side, hesitantly holding eye contact with her. 

Did she want Kassandra to stay? Probably. Yeah, she had to start from scratch to rebuild their relation that had a shaky start, because she could feel it was one that would last a long time. Stopping Trinity from succeeding in their goal was going to take months, if not years.

Kassandra nodded wordlessly, and sat beside her. She began fumbling with her hands, why was it so damn hard to initiate a conversation with Lara? 

" ..How's your back? " Kassandra asked her without looking her in the eyes, a generic question at that.

She looked up from her hands when the sound of Lara giggling hit her ears.

" What's so funny? " A tiny little smile appeared on her face too when she saw her, why was Lara laughing now? 

" You're nervous. " Lara could feel the tension radiating from Kassandra from a mile away if she wanted to. This was one thing she never would have expected from the woman that was so intent on killing her the first time they met. " Don't be, it's alright. I won't snap at you again. "

Kassandra's face fell. She didn't know what to feel between being mortified for the awkward mess she currently was, or guilty for making the other woman feel that way.

" I…okay. " 

Her tiny smile widened into a grin when hazel eyes met the young archeologist's gaze. 

" Why didn't you sleep? " Lara asked the woman gingerly, picking up her journal again to continue where she left it at. 

" I tried, but sleep wasn't having me. You? " Kassandra was trying not to stare at Lara writing in her journal, her gaze jumping from one thing to another.

" It's the same for me too, I'm afraid. " Lara put her journal aside once more, this time putting her pen above the cover when she closed it.

" Are you sure I'm not disturbing you? " Kassandra could see clear as day the woman was occupied with something, she didn't want to be an uninvited guest.

" No, you're not. It's just a habit of mine to note down every little thing, " Kassandra had her full attention, she wasn't going to look away from her now, " it helps me remember. "

" I can get behind that, I used to do that too. " She remembered when she used to keep a journal with herself as well, but it got tedious as time went by. She ended up discarding the hobby all together, storing her previous journals safely.

Now that her mind was off the memory, she realized she could see the burning flame dancing around in Lara's brown eyes.

" Really? Why'd you stop? " Lara was curious to know, why would Kassandra give it up? Journaling was a great hobby, she wasn't sure why someone would get bored of it.

" It got tedious, began demanding attention. " She looked away, staring at the fire in front of her with empty eyes.

" Isn't that the best part? " Lara still kept looking at her profile, studying her face intently.

" It is. But there were other things that had me occupied, leaving no time for journaling. " She bit her lip, preparing herself for the onslaught of questions.

" I understand. " Lara looked away as well, staring at the fire just like her. She could understand what Kassandra was talking about.

They were engulfed in silence for a couple moments, neither of them talking. 

That's when Kassandra had a question pop into her mind, it was a dangerous one. One that could shift the tide of the conversation in a moment. She still went for it though.

" Can I ask you something? " She tore her gaze from the fire and shifted herself so that her front would be facing Lara.

" Sure, what is it? " Lara did the same, intrigued at what the woman wanted to ask her.

" What did the cu—Trinity do to you, exactly? "

Maláka, this tongue of hers was going to give her a heart attack one of these days. 

The question caught Lara by surprise, of all the things Kassandra could have asked, this was the one she chose. 

" Would it offend you if I chose not to answer? " She turned her face down, looking at her hands. She did not want to answer that, not right now at least. " They killed my father, that's all I can tell you. "

" I'm not offended. " Kassandra knew it was a bad idea, but the genie was out of the bottle now. " I'm sorry if it came off as rude, as I am about your father. "

" No, it's fine I suppose. " Lara remembered then, Kassandra had told her something of the like too. She raised her face up to question her. " What did they do to you? "

" The same. Except, they killed my brother and my mother. " She knew it was letting out too much, but if she kept it vague enough, there was no need to worry.

" I'm sorry. " Lara felt bad on her behalf, she knew the other woman wouldn't disclose anything more, but this was better than nothing at all. At least, she knew now who's revenge Kassandra sought.

" I often wonder why they're even doing it in the first place. " Kassandra was talking to herself at this point, rambling on about every matter that came into her brain that had shut down. " What do they even plan to do with total control over the world? "

" I used to think the same too, but now I've realized something. " Lara began frowning, remembering how she had been stupid enough to think the divine source could erase everything that made humans, human. " Idealogies shape us, what we think, what we do. It's their creed that's made them who they are. They simply do not believe they are doing something wrong. "

That was heavy talk, coming from a twenty four-twenty five year old at most. Kassandra couldn't stop wondering just how much had Lara actually been through. The newspapers made her sound like a brain-dead obsessed archeologist.

" You're right, but my question still stands. What do they possibly want to do with this world once they have unrestricted control of it? " Kassandra knew they'd get caught in a debate once more, but one that centered on a subject both of them hated passionately, so there was little to no chance of them falling out again.

" Most likely they'd try to 'cleanse' it of evil, if that even makes sense. " She scoffed, if only Trinity could realize how flawed their ideology was. " But I won't let them. "

" I won't either. " 

Kassandra gave Lara a tight-lipped smile, getting one in return as well. The conversation had turned serious now, she could either continue it or lighten the mood with a corny joke.

" There's one more thing though... " Kassandra smacked her lips, trying to stop herself from bursting out laughing. 

" What is it? " Lara was amused to see Kassandra very obviously hiding a smile, they had just been talking about a very difficult topic now.

" How long does a person have to be dead for it to be considered archeology, instead of grave robbing? "  
Kassandra couldn't hold herself back anymore, her small chuckles turned into full blown laughter once the woman in front began laughing too, smacking her in the shoulder.

" You're the worst! " She tucked her bangs behind her ear, still not over what the other woman had just said.

She had been prepared for another grueling question that'd beg her for another philosophical answer, but this one was fairly easy.

" Hey! It was a serious question! " 

Kassandra was happy, glad that she had managed to get this right, had safely changed the topic without being too dramatic about it.

Her social skills were rusty, she hadn't really socialized much in the twenty first century, but she _still_ had it alright.

" If you ask me, it needs to be at least a hundred years old. " Kassandra spoke above the laughter, noticing the fire had gone out due to the strong wind that was blowing her hair in her face. " Want me to light it again? " She asked the archeologist, pointing at it with her finger.

" No, it's alright. " Lara got up, reaching her hand out for Kassandra. " I think I'll go for a walk, join me? "

Kassandra looked at her hand, hesitating for only a second. She took hold of it and got up, smiling at the young woman in front of her. 

" Of course. "

As soon as she got up, she saw a look of sudden worry on Lara's face. " What is it? "

" Jonah. What if he wakes up? He always gets worried for me. "

Kassandra turned her face around, and then up for analysis, there was still some time till sunrise. " It's not morning yet, you can leave him a note if you want. "

She watched as the archeologist went past her, kneeling down to pick up her journal. She opened a page, scribbling down something in it then tore it off. 

Lara went inside the tiny hut, then came out, motioning for Kassandra to follow her.

" Let's go. " She walked in front, obviously in charge of where they were headed to. 

Kassandra followed her behind, closing the gap between them with a few small steps. 

" How long has he been your friend? You two seem to be close. " 

" Oh, he's been my friend for close to three years now. " She rotated her face around to look at Kassandra, smiling at her. " We met on the Endurance, he was the cook. "

" The cook? " Kassandra was surprised, that was the last place she had expected them to meet. 

" Yeah, he's the only friend I have other than— "

Lara stopped in the middle of her sentence. All of this was uncalled for, why was she telling Kassandra about it all? 

" Other than? " Kassandra narrowed her eyes, unsure why Lara had just paused. Maybe some sensitive information she didn't want to tell her?

" Sam. " Her voice was low, her tone serious this time. She started walking ahead of Kassandra, unsure why she just started feeling uncomfortable.

_Sam?_

Kassandra halted her movement, she knew Lara was uncomfortable with further continuing their talk. Should she follow her? Damn it, she was right. Lara really was indecipherable.

Lara had stopped walking as well, only three steps ahead of her. She closed her eyes, and balled her hands into fists. She was alienating the other woman, all because she felt strange opening herself, telling even the simplest of things to someone who wasn't Jonah. This wasn't the way partnerships worked. 

She veered around, wearing an apologetic look on her face, and gesticulating with her hand for Kassandra to follow her.

Kassandra reluctantly closed the distance between them, not entirely keen on talking again.

" I'm sorry, I can get like that sometimes. You'll have to put up with it, I'm afraid. " She didn't look Kassandra in the eye, instead staring at the pier in front of her. 

" As long as it's not me who's the cause of it, sure. " Kassandra didn't look at her either, instead letting her words speak for themselves. " I wouldn't want to offend you, let me know if I do. "

" Of course. " 

_Damn it, topic, topic, topic. Ah, got it._

" Cindy admires you. " Lara slowed down her pace once near the pier, lazily going up the stairs to where the bar was. 

" She's a great kid. " Kassandra smiled upon remembering her, she was a cute little girl. Maybe smaller than Phoebe in age, but the same in zeal and enthusiasm. 

Lara sat down on the bench located just right of the bar, leaving some space for Kassandra. 

" Abby told me what happened the day before. It was brave of you to do that. " She rested her back against the bench, leaning her head back and looking to her side to lock eyes with Kassandra.

" It was nothing. It was the right thing to do. " Kassandra was just beside her, sitting exactly the same way except she wasn't leaning her head back and had her arms crossed. " Are you sure about me working with Jonah? I don't want our little expedition to go up in flames. "

Lara looked away with a smile on her face to admire the moon that shone above them, she knew Jonah was going to be difficult to work with. " He'll be alright, I've already asked him to not be so hard on you. "

" Right. I don't think it's going to be easy at first, but I'll try. " Kassandra kept looking at her face bathed in the moonlight, watching eagerly how every zephyr blew her bangs out of her face, revealing the skin hidden underneath.

" Thank you. " Lara brought her eyes on the other woman, her expression neutral this time. " What is it that you actually do, if you don't mind me asking? 

Kassandra didn't see that one coming. Her mind began running in every direction, searching for every possible answer. It was true, she hadn't told Lara what her profession was.

" I…. used to be in the military. " She spoke indecisively, what else could she pass off as a possible profession for someone as tough looking as herself? " But I left quite some time ago.. "

Lara wanted to ask more, the whys and hows of everything, but decided it was enough for now. No need to pry, she'd get plenty of time to learn it all later.

" I thought so. " Lara closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasant breeze that was more than enough to make her forget her stress, and piecing together what she had learned about Kassandra today.

She used to keep a journal, was in the military, and could get nervous too. Interesting.

This chat was a nice distraction from the murk and gloom she was absorbed in. The guilt, the shame she felt.

None of this would have happened had she been more cautious with the dagger, people would have been still alive. 

" Feeling sleepy? " Kassandra was curiosly peeking at her, and silently thanking the Gods Lara hadn't pressed for more.

" No, I doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight. " She didn't open her eyes, didn't want to. She was at peace, and strangely enough, Kassandra wasn't interfering with her tranquillity at all. " Thank you for the shirt, by the way. I lost my equipment in the plane crash. "

" Plane crash? Is that how you got that angry looking scar on your back? " Kassandra began gawking at her with wide eyes, they had a plane crash and she just… walked out of it? 

Lara snapped open her eyes so their eyes would meet. " Unfortunately, no. It was a Jaguar. An empress Jaguar, if I'm right. "

Kassandra was speechless. Not many were able to escape the paws of these deadly beasts, Lara certainly had some incredible survival instincts to best the Jaguar, or at least flee from it.

" What's the matter? " There it was, uneasiness picking at her chest. 

" Uh, no nothing... I'm just glad you didn't lose your life. " Kassandra awkwardly smiled at her, touching the base of her neck and acting completely like a buffoon. 

And pretty impressed too. Not many could walk out of a plane crash alive, escape a Jaguar and live to tell the tale.

" So am I. Tell me honestly, " Lara placed her palms on the bench and sat up straight, looking at Kassandra attentively. " How long will it take for my stitches to actually heal? No sugar coating this time, please. "

" A month, if I'm being honest. " Kassandra replied without hesitation, watching Lara's features go stiff. The young woman didn't like it at all. " But if you keep changing the bandage and take care of it responsibly, two weeks will be sufficient enough. "

" I can't just sit here and let you two do all the work, it's my responsibility. All of this is happening because of me, and— "

Kassandra placed her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently and giving her a warm look. " It's okay. Don't let your past be the architect of your life. "

Lara didn't speak for quite a few minutes, openly staring at the other woman's form. That was sound advice, but one that only sounded good in theory, not practicality.

" Don't rush into it. It'll only make matters worse for your own self, give it time. " Kassandra kept gently caressing the woman's shoulder, she had known desperation like this and she knew it'd bring nothing but ruin.

Lara nodded wordlessly, kind of surprised that someone other than Jonah was showing concern for her. But then again, every other person out there was empathetic in situations like these. 

Kassandra let her hand fall down, the sky around them was slowly turning blue, the earliest rays of morning light bound to break free soon. The visage around them looked beautiful like this coupled with the sounds of birds chirping.

" It looks beautiful, doesn't it. " Kassandra got up from the bench, slowly treading to the other end of the bar from where she could see the river flowing steadily. She'd always been a sucker for nature, it was the reason she hadn't gone insane yet. Well, one of them at least.

" It is. " Lara followed suit, pausing just beside Kassandra. " Have you ever been to Siberia? It is really gorgeous, if you don't mind the weather. "

Siberia was a stunning land, if she didn't think about what she had witnessed there.

" No I haven't but I plan to. " Kassandra had been thinking about Siberia just a few hours ago in her house, coincidences were true, it seemed. She turned her face to look at the other woman, " I'm guessing you've had a first hand experience of it? "

" Yeah, it's really something. " Lara kept looking ahead and smiled blankly. The recollections of her stay in Siberia weren't pleasant at all, it was brutal. Gruesome. But the land itself was beautiful, no denying that. 

Helios had almost taken over, the sun's effulgent rays were spread out in every direction, blanketing them both in warmth.

" You're good at archery. " Kassandra was tugging at her bottom lip, trying to keep the conversation alive. Small talk went a long way, especially early on in—

 _Hmm, what exactly am I aiming for here_? 

She hadn't considered being friends when she first met Lara, but it was clear they'd have to make conversation every now and then. Being friends could make situations alot easier, make them less awkward around each other.

" Oh, um, thank you. " The young woman threw an awkward glance in Kassandra's direction, " But it's nothing special, really. "

" It is, actually. " Kassandra chuckled softly, catching glimpses at her every now and then. " Even I struggle with multiple targets. "

It was true, she couldn't take out more than two targets at once with her bow. It was a skill she had struggled to master despite all these years.

" It's not that hard if you keep steady, and your eyes on the target. " Lara started playing with her hands, looking down on them. She didn't know how to recieve compliments, she was an amateur at stuff like this.

" Look who's nervous now. " Kassandra walked past her, smiling mischievously. They were even now, Lara had that coming.

Lara began staring at the woman's form, her mouth slightly agape because god damn, that was smooth. She'd have to be prepared from now on, this woman was a quick thinker and a fast talker.

She left the pier to join Kassandra in their walk back, silent the entire way. But the absence of speech between them wasn't unpleasant, it was just comfortable silence.

" I guess I'll leave now. " Kassandra stopped at the threshold of Lara's and Jonah's little hamlet, her hands in her jean's pocket. " It was nice talking to you. " 

" Likewise. " Lara gave her a tiny smile, getting a much broader one in return. " Good night, or should I say, good morning. See you in a few hours. "

" Good bye. " Kassandra gave her a nod, and waved her goodbye, leaving for her own hut.

The Trinity report that she hummed to herself on her way back was absolutely false, and the small tid bit of her having fallen asleep without difficulty was probably just a rumor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was long. I spent two weeks on this, hopefully you guys will like it :) At first, I wanted to divide it into a couple chapters but decided against it at last. If I'm being honest, I loved writing about this Roman timeline with Kassandra in it, might even do more of it if I'm feeling it :D It even gave me a chance to connect things between AC and TR, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.
> 
> I loooooved writing about the relationship between Spartakus and Kassandra, she's always been alone without a family and it was great finally writing a character she could see Alexios in.
> 
> Spartakus isn't Alexios reincarnated, he just happens to look like him. Probably because of the Isu blood. 
> 
> Now, I have skipped out over many things because there was far too much history to write in here, so I just went ahead with the most important ones and took some liberties with a few incidents.
> 
> Originally, Spartacus and his seventy slaves murdered their instructors on their way out of the school, not a day prior. He also had two more commanders other than Oenomaus and Crixus, but I couldn't find a place to adjust them so I just skipped over them. Sorry about that!
> 
> Crassus was a well respected Roman military commander, credited with ending the slave revolt led by Spartacus known as the third servile war. He was originally brought into battle against him by the republic when Spartacus bested every force Rome had sent so far. At one point, Crassus had started overwhelming Spartacus which led him to seek refuge at Sicily, he payed some pirates for passage there but the pirates ended up betraying him and his rebel slaves.
> 
> There's so much more but it's insignificant here, so that's all there is to it. I might add more notes if I feel like it. I wanted to write more about Lara and Kassandra here, but it was already too long so I cut it short and yes, I just had to put in that joke xD. Next chapter will solely be them, working with each other and becoming more acquainted with one another :)
> 
> Here's hoping I can update soon and finally get this expedition of the two ladies up and running!


	8. Beginnings Of A Story Untold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I'm late. Very, very late and I truly am sorry guys. The past couple of months haven't been really nice financially and emotionally for me so I took a break from everything to focus on myself, on getting better, and thankfully, I'm getting the hang of it :) Thank you so much for reading the last chapter, I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was to read your comments. Keep em coming since they're my fuel :D 
> 
> I had written this chapter almost half way through before I gave up and went MIA. Just got it done the other day :) I hope you guys like it.
> 
> There's some violence in here so giving you all a heads up!
> 
> -Apate is the goddess or personification of deciet in Greek mythology-

" What do you mean she left?! "

Furious would be too soft a word for what Kassandra was feeling right now , and staring at one certain archeologist's friend certainly wasn't doing her any favors. That stupid maláka and his stupid mug.

" She's not my slave! She can do whatever the hell she wants. " Jonah closed the gap between the two of them with one big, bold step, coming face to face with her. " Talk it out with her if you must, but I should warn you she doesn't take kindly to controlling types. "

" Oh for the love of Zeus! " Kassandra threw her hands up in the air, her frustration etched on her face. " She's out there running around with a freshly sutured wound! You think that's safe?! "

" I tried convincing her otherwise, but once she sets her mind to something she gets it done. " Jonah was desperately grabbing onto the rope of patience, but with each ticking second it was slipping from his hands. Kassandra was one itch he was dying to scratch, a small brawl to set his mind straight. But there was one obstacle standing in his way, his archeologist buddy who'd asked him to give the object of his ire another chance. 

" Did she at least tell you where she was going? " Kassandra took a deep breath, her burning eyes losing some of their edge as she let her hands fall at her side. Yelling was getting her nowhere, … and people were looking at the both of them like they were about to rip each other's throats out. Yeah, she definitely needed to get a grip.

" No. " Jonah swallowed hard and stepped back, turning away to return back to talking with the nearby locals he was occupied with until just a moment ago. The conversation was clearly over for him.

" Maláka… " Kassandra swore under her breath, and stormed away, searching for a quiet place to cool down. Her mind was swirling as if caught in a maelstorm, with what was it? A pinch of worry eating at her? 

" She'll be fine, she can take care of herself. " She gave her head a shake as if to rub off the doubts currently stabbing at her chest. Lara was not your average run-of-the-mill archeologist, she had charisma and appeared smart enough, right? " What the fuck is wrong with you? She'll be fine. " 

She seated herself on a bench at a safe distance from Jonah, the same one she had been seated on the previous night with Lara. She could see from the corner of her eye that Jonah was heading away from the bar ( thank the gods ) in the direction of the small shed he and Lara had to themselves. 

_Good, I hope you trip on your way back._

She raised her head up to look at a visibly amused Abby, who was looking at her with crossed arms and a barely repressible smile. 

" You guys don't get along do you? "

" Tell me about it. " She got up from the bench, extending her hand out to Abby and giving her a firm handshake. " Things coming along fine? "

" Well, there's not much to salvage given the storm destroyed almost everything inside the village, but we're managing. Thank you. " Abby gave her a small smile, then opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, her gaze dropping down. 

" What is it? Is everything okay? " 

" No, it's just I overheard you guys fighting over Lara. Is that correct? " 

" Yeah. She— "

" They're not together you know, if that's what you were fighting about. " Abby gave her a sheepish grin, what the hell was this about?

" I'm sorry, I'm not following you? " Kassandra scratched her head, her confused eyes settling at Abby's playful form. She didn't understand what she meant by that, of course she knew that Lara and Jonah were friends. What was she—

_Oh. Oh!_

" Wait, no! That's not what this is all about! " She started gesticulating wildly with her hands, her voice cracking at the horror she was witnessing unfold. " I just wanted to know where she is. She's been missing since I last saw her! " 

Her undomesticated conduct was halted by the sound of Abby laughing at her antics. Great, she made a fool of herself twice. 

" It's okay, really. You just have the look of someone who's not exactly looking for a man so I just assumed that— "

" No! That's not what it is! " She began gesticulating, shaking her head again. " The fighting over Lara part I mean, not the man one. " 

" I saw you two last night out on a stroll, so.. " Abby trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken although she knew now that Kassandra caught the gist of it. 

" I assure you that's not the case. Sleep wasn't having us so we decided to kill the time with each other. " A small smile sneaked it's way on Kassandra's face, but stretched out into a full blown grin, mirroring the one on Abby's face. 

The banter, or more aptly put, her own shenanigans were amusing enough to put her genuine concern for Lara on the sidelines.

" Well, if her whereabouts are what you're after then allow me to help you. She came here not too long ago, and began talking to Marco. " She pointed her finger at a man standing at the far edge of the pier, worry palpable on his face. " Maybe he can help you? "

" Let's hope he does. Thank you, by the way. " Kassandra bowed her head in courtesy, tapping Abby on the shoulder as she passed by, already on her way to Marco.

Anything to get away from the girl who saw her react wildly like a teenager... The shame was too much.

The man in question, Marco, looked crestfallen. He was mumbling and grumbling at the same to himself. He was upset about something, that much was obvious.

" Excuse me? " Kassandra stopped a good distance away from him, but her interjection nearly made him jump out of his skin. " I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you. But I need your help. "

" I, uh, yes? " He began fidgeting, he was anxious alright. " What do you need help with? "

" I'm looking for my friend, who might have talked to you. Her name's Lara, have you seen or talked to her per chance? " 

There she was, standing confidently and her arms crossed at her chest. Intimidating, but friendly enough so the other person wouldn't run up the hills. 

She liked being in her element like this, it reminded her of her days as a misthios, her profession she had a love-hate relationship with. It used to be a bloody affair almost everytime, but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy interrogating people. She had learnt to enjoy what she did, to make her work easier and less of a burden than it already was.

" Lara? Oh yes, that young woman with hair and eyes like yours? " His eyes seemed to perk up at the mention of the archeologist. _Interesting_.

" Yes, that's her. Do you know where she is? " 

" She's probably at the crypt work site right now. She said she was going to help us. " His voice held hope, and he stood a little firmer. " I just hope she doesn't get hurt. " 

" Can you tell me exactly what you two talked about? I need to be there with her if she's in danger. " Kassandra spat out nearly instantaneously when the man finished, her palms suddenly sweaty and her heartbeat skyrocketing. There it was, that familiar sense of impending doom encircling her.

Marco spent the next ten minutes recounting his conversation with Lara. The young woman had come to him asking about that vicious being of a man, Omar, and how his group of pillagers had been harassing the villagers, making them work against their will to dig out valuable artifacts and paying them next to nothing. To top it all off, Marco's son, Pablo, was working at the crypt site against his will too.

" I see. Thank you so much, your help has been invaluable. " Kassandra gave him a ghost of a smile and began sprinting in the direction of the crypt Marco had mentioned without giving anything else another thought.

Was that dramatic? Yes. Was it necessary? Absolutely.

Lara had promised to rest, to leave the work to Jonah and her for the time being but apparently, the woman was incapable of holding herself back from getting into action. Her impetuous behavior somewhat clashed with her rather calm exterior. It was weird, to say the least.

But what was even weirder to her as she passed by villagers looking at her like she was running away from a crime scene, was her own desperation when it came to Lara's safety. Okay, that was even _more_ interesting.

But it didn't have to do anything with that sense of familiarity she had each time she'd look at the archeologist. Nope, clearly not that. Not a chance.

She stopped abrubtly once she heard faint echoes of gunshots coming from where she stood, her black boots drenched in mud as she began walking slowly over to the small tunnel she'd have to squeeze through to get to the worksite.

Her mind was bursting with a myriad of assumptions to explain what she was hearing but then suddenly, a small boy bumped into her leg and fell down. 

" Easy there! " She quickly knelt down to help the boy up, but got concerned upon looking at his face pale with fear, he appeared to have been running away from the site. 

The boy steadied himself, he was covered all over in dirt. Tears were pooling up in his eyes as he looked up at her face, but then he looked sideways and the way was clear. There was no guard in sight, he could make the run for it.

He slowly stepped back from Kassandra, then left in the opposite direction not looking behind. 

Kassandra wanted to follow him, to see him through to safety but she couldn't. The sound of gunshots was all over the place and this was where Lara was supposed to be.

She reached for the holster and took out her pistol, making sure it was loaded. She entered the small covered passageway, treading carefully but quickly enough to come out the other end in half a minute. 

The echoes had now turned into ear-piercing vibrations, and the smell of gunpowder was thick in the air. 

In front of her was a narrow passage, with overgrown vegetation on either side and a large clearing in the middle with some ruins. The very place the commotion was generating from.

She kept her touch to the ground feather light, holding her gun steady in her hands. If she could camouflage herself using the vegetation, she could take out these malákas without being spotted. 

" Come out, you bitch! " The man spat on the ground, then loudly beat his chest with his other hand. " Too scared to show your face, huh?! "

Kassandra assessed the area carefully, there were about ten armed men in the clearing, some hiding behind columns, the rest holding the remaning villagers captive. She needed to be smart and plan a strategy if she wanted all of the villagers to make it out alive.

The vegetation would be the perfect cover.

" I'll count to three. Show your face and I might spare them. Keep hiding and I'll make sure they die here with you. " 

The man pivotted, looking around himself. A young boy, barely old enough to grow out his first chin hairs was held hostage by his comrade near the entry to the passageway. 

The man pointed his gun at the boy, walking leisurely towards him. "One. Two. Three. "

The boy quickly closed his eyes, sure he was going to die but instead, he opened them a second later to see the man laughing like a maniac, pulling his hand back and putting his gun inside the holster with his back to him now.

" You think you're some hot stuff huh? Well, in that case— "

The sound of groans, the kind made when struggling, snatched his attention and he veered around at the speed of light to find his comrade and the boy gone. 

He immediately pulled out his gun, holding it firmly with both hands. " Ander? Ander, where did you take that bastard? An— "

The arrow that found his temple didn't leave much to be said, as he fell down to the ground in one big thud. Blood was splattered everywhere and chaos had ensued as the pillagers started firing blind gunshots and villagers started fleeing the horrid site.

" Go! Run and don't look back! " Kassandra let go of the boy's hand she had carefully concealed beside her in the vegetation, along with the corpse of the now dead pillager. 

She quickly slid across the ground, firing at the two brutes with shotguns in their hands and getting them both square in the chest and hurriedly found cover behind a column.

The remaining five men were scattered now, hiding behind cover and vegetation. Cowering and fearful for their lifes. Child's play for her, essentially. 

But then the cries of a couple more malákas made her shift her position. Kassandra took in her surroundings, trying to spot from where Lara was working her magic. She squinted her eyes, scanning all the available vantage points till her gaze happened upon an opening, it looked like the top of a small cave, covered with bushes.

Lo and behold, there she was. Tactfully hidden in the camouflage, her eyes steady as she made eye contact with Kassandra.

_Ah. There you are, Lady Croft._

Only three more remained, they'd make easy work of them. Kassandra reloaded her gun, shifting on her toes and getting up to shoot but then she saw in shock as Lara leapt from the edge of the cave, her bow in hand and altered her stance mid-air, letting lose three arrows at the same time. The height from which she leapt was fatally dangerous, what the hell was this woman thinking?!

Kassandra quickly climbed up on the pillar, sprinting on it's linear surface and firing shots, getting two of them in the shoulder and one in the chest as they fell to the ground lifeless. 

_Maláka, maláka, maláka! What if she hits her head?!_

She discarded the gun right away and jumped in a hurry with enough force to at least catch that British headache before she hit the ground and died of trauma to the head. She jumped in just enough time to cover the distance between the two of them and bear the grunt of Lara's fall, cushion it for her.

And that, she did. Almost too painfully so.

Lara collided with her, and landed on the poor woman's stomach. She couldn't believe for the life of her what had just happened.

The pillagers were dead, the villagers were gone.

Oh, and she had leapt from above to catch the men by surprise, having already eyed the muddy patch of ground that would cushion her fall. Make sure she wouldn't die of impact.

But somehow, she was now lying on top of the woman who had the brilliant idea to, what? Come running towards her landing area for no reason? Was she more of an idiot than she let on?

The sound of Kassandra groaning in pain was enough to make her snap back to reality.

" What were you thinking?! " Kassandra managed to let out, her face scrunched up and eyes still half-closed due to the pain from the sudden impact.

" You were the one who got in the way! What did you think you were doing?! " Her hands were resting on Kassandra's collar, she had half a mind to just grab her by the shirt and beat her silly but for some reason, she held onto sanity. 

" What do you mean?! You would have died from a fall that high! " Kassandra was shouting irritatingly in her face, her hands resting on the ground at her sides and covered in mud. 

" I do this all the time! If I didn't know what would happen, I never would have leapt in the first place. " 

" Then warn me the next time you plan to do it! "

Lara stared wide-eyed at Kassandra's annoyed form beneath her, sure the yelling and blaming would go on forever but then something clicked into place.

Kassandra didn't do this for hero points. She did this because in her mind, it was the right thing to do.

Not everyone knew how to survive a dangerous fall like this one, and it was clear as day from what she had gathered from their shouting session that Kassandra had the best of intentions.

Plus, she was still lying on top of her. Her entire weight was on the poor woman.

She quickly got up, hoping to God she wouldn't make this situation awkward and messy than it already was. 

Kassandra got up on her elbows, giving her head a tiny shake. She was slightly dizzy from hitting her head hard on the ground, her vision out of focus but nothing too serious.

Once she regained her sight, she saw Lara reach forward and extend her hand out to her, her expression carefully blank.

_Oh you're going to regret this, young lady._

She made a show of grabbing the archeologist's hand, then grabbed it tightly and pulled her down with a strong tug.

" What— "

Before Lara could comprehend what was happening, she fell face first into mud. All tomb raiding five feet, four inches of her.

" That's for running away when you were supposed to be resting. " 

Kassandra fell back herself too, the backside of her head now fully covered in mud as well. She turned her head to the right to see what looked like a somewhat angry, no scratch that, _very_ angry Lara looking back at her. 

A playful grin found it's way on her mud-streaked face, hoping it'd stave off some of the cursing she'd hear any moment now. She didn't know why she was being whimsical with Lara, but she knew it felt good to return to her old self even if only for a moment. 

Lara didn't know how to react to all this, but strangly enough, the sudden shot of anger inside her vanished as soon as she made eye contact with her. It was all in good fun, from the looks of it. Fun they were having while surrounded by corpses. Lovely.

" You're right. I deserved that. " She heaved a deep sigh, a small smile on her face too as she rolled around so she'd be on her back. " I'm sorry but I saw this man getting violently thrashed by some elitist scum. I offered him my help, one thing led to another and now.. " , she circled around herself with her finger, making sure her finger was pointing at her face when stopped, " I'm here. "

" That's all fine and dandy but you have to take care of yourself. " Kassandra made sure her delivery was sincere since she meant it, " Your scar, it'll heal but only if you allow it to. "

" I know. " She reached up with her hands to wipe the mud off her face, and talking in between simultaneously. " I won't get in your way again. "

" It's not about being in my way. It's about you being reckless and getting hurt yourself. " Kassandra looked Lara in the eyes. Being young did come with being hot-blooded but that didn't mean Lara should throw caution to the wind. She hoped to get this across.

" I can take care of myself. " Her retort was almost instant because yes, she could take care of herself.

The sun was now shining directly over them, she had to cover her eyes with the back of her hand.

" That I don't doubt. But right now, you should lay low. Let your back heal. " Kassandra got up and looked at herself. A bath was definitely in order. " The rest is up to you though, there's only so much I can say. "

Lara gave her a silent nod in acknowledgement. So the woman in question wanted her to rest, that was understandable since it was what they had both agreed on the night before. 

" I'm not offering you my hand though. I don't want to lie down there again. " She was grinning ear to ear now,  
she was enjoying this way too much. " Come on, let's go. "

Lara couldn't repress a grin of her own, Kassandra was fun alright. Even in scary situations like the one they had been in only minutes ago. She placed her hand on the ground to stand up, only to be pleasantly surprised by Kassandra offering out her hand with a warm look on her face.

Trust. That's what this was about, if she was reading the clues correctly.

Lara kept looking back and forth at Kassandra and her hand, and then she took it. Once on her feet, she went and grabbed her bow and Kassandra's pistol that was lying at some distance, forgotten. 

" Here, your pistol. "

" Thank you. " She took it from Lara's hand, and put it back in her holster. 

" Glock 22, isn't it? " 

_Impressive_. " Yes. I keep it with myself all the time. It's handy and powerful. " 

" You weren't lying about being in the military then. " 

Lara began pacing towards the narrow passageway, waiting for Kassandra to join her. She joined her shortly thereafter, happy to accompany her on the walk back. 

" Your reflexes, they really are incredible. " Lara blurted out as soon as they were out of the small covered passageway, where did that come from? She kept staring ahead and struggled to walk at an even pace.

Kassandra truly was lightning fast. Even by her standards, yes she was. 

Kassandra was taken aback momentarily but replied right away, " Thank you. I have years of training and practice behind me so it's not really something natural. Just hard work. " 

It was, simply put, the truth. She did have centuries of experience behind her. She'd be lying if she said it didn't feel good though, to be complimented like this every once in a while.

" But you don't even look that old. How old are you, thirty at most? " Lara paused abruptly, sure her dig at Kassandra's age had soured the woman's mood. She rotated her head around to meet her gaze, swallowing hard as she did so. " I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that. "

" Don't think about it. I'm twenty nine, nothing to hide. "

_About my age. I have nothing to hide about my age._

It was how old she was when she took on the duty of being the staff's keeper, and stopped aging. No lie there, no.

" How old are you, though? " Kassandra cocked her eyebrows, looking like the smug mercenary she still was at her core. " It's only fair you answer, don't you think?

Her answer was a quiet murmur followed by the archeologist awkwardly shuffling on her feet, " I'm twenty four. "

" Are you sure you're not supposed to be in bed right now? It's only ten in the morning you know. " 

" Oh, knock it off. " Lara smacked her in her dirty, white button-up shirt. 

Their walk back was silent, but there was this newfound sense of friendship between them that put Lara at rest. 

Maybe there truly was more to Kassandra than meets the eye.

* * *

_" The younger Croft is more active and less cerebral than her father was. Although intelligent, she is less focused on the meaning and history of the artifacts she seeks, and more prone to risk taking. With no children or family of her own, she is free to pursue her targets, almost to the point of obsession. Although this can make her appear impulsive or unpredictable at times, we believe her drive and the balance of her personality will make her easier to influence with the promise of greater challenge, and more likely to deliver results. Any information that she might have that Richard Croft withheld from Trinity will simply be a bonus. We recommend her as a strong target for recruiting. "_

Kassandra could hardly believe the cult was careless enough to let their confidential documents be out in the open forested area like this, surrounding their base. What she couldn't believe more was how clueless they were about who or what Lara Croft truly was at her core, as she held the paper in her hand.

Lara, she had come to learn in the one month they had been here in Kuwaq Yaku, was not as base as Trinity were mistakenly believing her to be. She may have slaughtered hordes of madmen on Yamatai, and here in front of her own eyes a while back, but that didn't mean she enjoyed killing.

No. Kassandra knew the look of someone who took pleasure in killing and Lara just didn't have it. If anything, she looked haunted each time she'd kill someone. 

And point number two, she was absolutely invested in the meaning and history of each artifact and myth that piqued her interest. It had been a rare blunder out of desperation when she grabbed that dagger back in Cozumel. She'd conversed with her enough in these four weeks to make this assessment.

The report only had one thing right in it's entirety. 

Lara's obsession with Trinity.

She was obsessed with it, almost to the point of madness. Kassandra had witnessed it the first time back at the pier a month ago, and more recently, when they had been having a candid conversation.

  
_" I agree with what you said. " Lara gave her head a resolute nod, " People despise each other, if for no other reason, than for the God they believe in. You won't believe the amount of times I've seen atheists mocked for not believing, or Christians abused for believing. It's unreal. "_

_" It happens when you belong to the wrong side, you know. " Kassandra gave her a sympthatic smile, then looked away. " The side that teaches you to hold those who think alike in high regard, and kill those who have differing views. "_

_The sky was twinkling this night, it'd have been a beautiful sight had the topic of their conversation been not this grave._

_" I often wonder what's the point of it, religion, I mean. " She said half to herself, and half to Lara, lost in her musings._

_" To control, I guess. Or to provide people with hope when they're surrounded by despair. Although nowadays, it's used to spread hate which is ironic since it was concieved to bring people together, make them embrace love. "_

_" Yeah. My heart breaks for every person wronged by religious dogma. "_

_As soon as Kassandra finished her sentence, her mind played back memories she had confined to the back of her head._

_Daphnae, the one woman who made her feel like she was wanted when there was nobody else who would have her._

_Remembering her wasn't as painful now as it used to be centuries ago, but the sadness still penetrated through her heart effortlessly._

_She quickly shrugged off the thought, but not quick enough for Lara not to notice._

_" Are you alright? You don't look so good. " Lara wanted to reach out, put her hand on the woman's shoulder. Clearly, the topic was hard for her to talk about. " We can talk about it if you want, or avoid it all together. "_

_Kassandra didn't know what to do. It was fight or flight. Do or die. But then she remembered what her mater used to say._

_The face we show to the world needs to be of courage, despite the chaos we harbor beneath._

_That was it. She wasn't going to let her vulnerability show beneath her fabulous show of bravado. " I'm okay. Is it alright if I choose not to talk about it? I don't feel like spoiling my mood further. "_

_" Of course. Whatever you say. " Lara gave her a smile then laid down on her back, propping her head up on her hand. The small campfire she had made around her was illuminating her face, she felt cozy here and preferred it to that small shed Jonah was confined in most of the time._

_" Someone's getting comfortable. " Kassandra gave her a sly smile, but registered that she'd better leave in a minute or two since the young lady was visibly tired and in need of rest. " How's your back? I'm hoping better than last week? "_

_" You won't believe it, but I think it's healed completely. It doesn't hurt when I stretch, or when I lie on my back. "_

_Truly no less than a miracle given how bad the bruise was initially._

_" That's great news. Still doesn't mean you're off the hook. You still have another week to go before you're ready to jump in with me and Jonah. "_

_" And see you both kill each other before Trinity even catches a glimpse of you two? I'm not sure I'm on board with that. " Lara looked forward to the day Jonah would stop being hostile to Kassandra, but the buffoon just won't listen._

_Maybe it was the sleep that overcame her or her mind still hadn't wandered off the topic, Kassandra didn't answer back. She sat there quietly, lost in time_.

_She wasn't an expert at these things, but Lara knew this was the face you made when you were in pain over a loved one. Maybe Kassandra was thinking about her mother, or her brother. But why would she? They hadn't brought up friends and family, they'd been having a philosophical conversation._

_Lara got up from where she had been lying, and put her hand on Kassandra's shoulder. " You can talk about it, you know. "_

_That snapped Kassandra out of her trance. She opened her eyes in haste to look at the archeologist, who oddly, looked concerned._

_" I'm fine. "_

_She went still, contemplating her next course of action. What was she supposed to do know? Excuse herself and make things awkward or spill her guts? Why was it so hard to choose when the choice was so obvious?_

_" If it's your family, then I'm sure you'll avenge them. " Lara knew it would be dangerous stepping inside her personal territory, but damn it she wanted to comfort her friend. Yes, Kassandra was her friend. The least she could do was comfort her._

_" What? No, I'm not thinking about them. "_

_This was new. Lara was actually trying to be supportive and comforting, something the archeologist herself said she wasn't capable of, days ago._

_" Religion, it.. " Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it'd burst any second, her voice barely a whisper when she spoke, " stood in the way of my happiness. That's all. "_

_Vague. So vague that even Apate wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole._

_She waited for an answer but there was none. Only silence and the warmth from the campfire engulfing them both. None of them dared to break the void, because what was there to be said? The conversation was over_.

_" I'm sorry. " Lara refused to meet the hazel eyes staring at her, she didn't have the courage. " I'm sorry for what happened with you and… for not respecting your privacy. "_

_" No, it's fine. Really. " Kassandra reached forward and placed her hand on top of hers, giving her a forced smile. " It's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up for it. "_

_" Still, I.. " The archeologist settled her gaze on her hand, currently in possession of Kassandra. She couldn't reconcile the softness in those hazel eyes with the calloused hands she had, how could someone be so strong yet so vulnerable at the same time?_

_" Like I said, it's not your fault. Thank you for listening though. "_

_And with that, she pulled her hand away. She wanted to stand up and run, maybe teleport to Mykonos but decided against it at the last minute. That would be fucking immature and not to mention, a cowardly display._

_And if there's one thing she wasn't, it was a coward. Guarded, yes. But not a coward._

_" I understand how frustrating it can be. To have your life destroyed by people who believe in absurd ideologies. I intend to make them pay tenfold. "_

_Gone was the stuttering young woman, sitting beside Kassandra now was a predator. Watching and calculating it's prey's every move, waiting for the right moment to strike, to sink it's claws deep inside soft flesh. Her brown eyes were painted in ire now, a sharp contrast to the calmness and compassion from moments before_.

_" Trinity destroyed my life before it even had the chance to begin. I'll make sure they never do that to anyone ever again. " Lara's eyes were bulging out now as she stared ahead with an empty gaze, her fists tightning on instinct._

_Kassandra could only nod, having no idea what to say. It baffled her how easily Lara's demeanor could shift when it came to talking about Trinity. She wanted to stop them, erase them yet each time she gunned down a member, she'd have this look of horror on her face._

_But wasn't stopping and killing them the same thing? Kassandra couldn't figure it out for the love of all that is holy. Maybe the woman was doing it because she thought it necessary, and was guided by a blind concept to stop them, no matter what it took._

_It was a perilous thought. But one she decided to shelve to the back of her mind for now._

_What if Trinity and Lara are one and the same in substance? Her obsession with them mirrored their obsession with the Croft family, it sent chills down her spine._

  
Kassandra stuffed the document inside her pocket. Lara needed to see this, she had to tell the young woman what Trinity was planning for her. 

  
…

  
_Mother. I know you're not in this world, but I know that you're with me in spirit. I don't know what to do with myself, with each passing day my hate for Trinity grows. How am I supposed to deal with this? I hated my father my entire life, but I learned forgiveness. I forgave him, I even tried honoring his search for the divine source to make up for lost emotions and time. I thought I had had my fill of hate, of nightmares, but—_

Lara stopped writing in her journal once she heard someone knock on the door of her shed, she closed the journal and turned around to see Kassandra, standing there looking all kinds of.. dorky wearing about a hundred flower garlands around her neck.

" How do I look? " Kassandra chuckled as she sat down on the small make-shift bed in front of Lara. 

" Definitely a head turner, if you ask me. " Lara joined her in her giggling, her gloomy frame of mind no longer a concern. 

" Well, that's what I was going for. If you want, I'll ask Cindy to make a couple for you too. "

" Oh no I think I'll do just fine without them. " Lara waved her hand in jest, she couldn't help but notice a crumpled piece of paper inside Kassandra's hand. " What's that? "

" Right. This was the reason I came here. " Kassandra handed the paper to Lara, the mirth gone now. She took out the garlands, placing them carefully on the bed and cracked her knuckles, waiting for a response from Lara.

" You've been keeping busy, haven't you. " She read the note twice, but her attention was fixated on one sentence in particular.

_With no children or family of her own, she is free to pursue her targets, almost to the point of obsession._

" They're not to be taken lightly Lara. Don't do anything rash. " Kassandra could only hope Lara would listen to her, since her attention was on that little piece of paper in her hand. 

" Me? Rash? " Lara said candidly as she folded the piece of paper and stuffed it inside her pocket. " Would you mind if I kept it? "

" Uh..no, not at all. " 

Kassandra was beyond amused. And then just because she could, she did it to amuse herself further at Lara's expense. " You carry the blade of Leonidas, act like it. "

" What? " Lara was dumbfounded, what was Kassandra on about? " What do you mean? "

Kassandra was busy laughing, pleased with herself, too occupied to see a confused archeologist looking back at her.

" Hey! What did you mean by that? I've never seen the blade— "

" Relax. It's a joke, a.. " she trailed off to find the appropriate word, " regional thing..I guess. " She looked back at Lara with a sheepish smile.

" That's a strange idiom if I've ever heard one. " Lara struggled to come up with an explanation but alas, what was there to explain? The Greeks certainly had some unusual phrases she wasn't familiar with it seemed. " You're weird. "

" Glad you finally noticed. " Kassandra beamed at her, then got up from the bed, taking the garlands in her hands. " I should get back to Cindy, I promised to help her make more for her friends. " She pointed her chin at the garlands, and was already on her way out of the hut when she got stopped by Lara calling out to her.

" You have the blood of Leonidas in you, act like it. " 

_What_?

" Uh…what? " Kassandra squinted her eyes, trying to understand what Lara said. 

Lara pointed with her finger to the garlands with authority, " The garlands. Wear them. You want to be brave like Leonidas, don't you? " 

Kassandra's stare dropped to the garlands, then went back to Lara, and then her brain decided to shut down in that exact moment. Zeus so help her, did Lara even know what she was saying? Why even in Zeus' name would she say it? Unless Lara was trying to get back at her and come up with some ridiculous idiom of her own based on what she understood from what Kassandra had said.

Yes, that's definitely what she was trying to do.

" Uh, yeah. Yeah, see you later. "

Kassandra did not wait for an answer, and stepped outside the shed. She looked tentatively at the garlands in question, rose petals weaved rather delicately for being the work of a child and wore it around her neck.

Her mind rebooted now and was functioning at full capacity now as she made way for Cindy's home.

_Be brave like Leonidas._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now, guys. Let me know what you thought of it below, and one small shoutout to everyone who has commented, given a kudos, and subscribed to this story, thank you very much :) I'm really glad y'all like it, and will keep giving my best.
> 
> There's a side quest in Kuwaq Yaku that deals with pillagers harassing the villagers. The same one I slightly altered to include Kassandra in it :D 
> 
> I liked writing Kassandra as her old self here, it's true she's one brooding, serious woman given what she's been through but I wanted to have her relax a bit. The lady deserves it.
> 
> Amelia isn't mentioned enough in TR but it would make sense for Lara to write to her mother at times in her journal, to pour out her heart to her. I kinda wished the devs had shown us more of Amelia this time around, since she was the focal point of Lara's adventures in the legend/anniversary/underworld trilogy.
> 
> If I haven't mentioned it before then allow me to do it now. I'll be taking liberties here and there, especially with the time frame in which SOTR is set. A month or two just isn't enough time for me to set up a believable relationship between Lara and Kassandra so I'll be extending it a bit albeit with context. It will make sense, I promise you.
> 
> If I'm feeling okay and better than average, the next update might come sooner. Possibly before the first week of November. ( Omg okay now that I've mentioned November, who's excited about Valhalla? I can barely wait! )
> 
> Have a great week!


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